


Fairy Vision-You were like this the whole time?! And I find out just nOW?!

by KryStall_Krissa_TSS



Series: -The Fairy Realm that Is Home to Stray Kids- [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: 3RACHA is a thing here, Anything really, Deities, Fairy AU, Fairy Chan, Fairy Felix, Fairy Hyunjin, Fairy Jeongin, Fairy Realm, Fairy elements, Fluff, Half-fairy Woojin, Herbalism, Herbology, Human Changbin, Human Minho, Human Seungmin, Hybrids, Kissing, M/M, Magic AU, Other creatures of the fairy realm, Secrets, Smoking, Teenagers, University-AU, but they're magical cigars, coffee shop AU, fairy dust, like Pixies, oh-the fairies have fangs ;), or Bioluminescent Plants, or demons, or dragons, they all live together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-03-24 01:30:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 290,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13800522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KryStall_Krissa_TSS/pseuds/KryStall_Krissa_TSS
Summary: Changbin's life was relatively normal...well, so he would think. He went to University, where he studied Herbalism, something he enjoyed, worked part-time at a coffee shop as a barista with Minho and Seungmin, his classmates with whom he lived together in the same dorm, and attended the Mythology course at the end of every week on Friday.That was until a kid with a bright smile and...were those pointy ears? entered the coffee shop, followed by Chan and Jisung, his partners in writing and producing music. For a second, he saw a thing whiz by Chan's ear, but then it was gone and Chan was smiling and...What the hell is that?!AKA: The Fairy AU in which Changbin, Minho and Seungmin are all Herbalists in making and they meet Changbin's 3RACHA friends, and Changbin meets Chan's and Jisung's friends...and maybe he discovers that the fairies that he studies about in his end of week course are real, and other more evil things are real as well.





	1. The KOA University

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first time writing on AO3, yet it's not my first fanfiction. I hope that i will do a good enough job to write this new fic and that you will enjoy reading it :)))))  
> I'm so happy that Stray Kids will debut as 9, OT9 foreva', and i finally thought 'hey, how about i write a fairy au with stray kids.' So, here i am. Hope you enjoy ;)

    Changbin would consider himself a rather normal human being with a rather normal human life. That is, if you didn’t take into account his unnatural love for the supernatural or for the mythical and strange events that could never be explained.

    During his childhood, he had rather questionable events happen to him, but none could be truly linked to the existence of mythical creatures, only that he attracted weird and he was attracted by weird.

    Even after his high-school years, he decided that instead of pursuing a path that would guarantee him a well-off life, he would follow his passion of producing music and studying plants of all types. He chose the Herbalism field of research at KOA University, and he was close to starting the first year, only a few summer weeks away. He was a fresh graduate, and the anxiety and excitement of a new life were blurring between each other’s lines, making him only feel agitated. Not nervous, not scared. Only agitated...

    When he went to check the University itself and get his dorm room, he found that he really enjoyed the way the University was built in the form of an eye, with two openings, one on the right and one on the left, and how one of the biggest rooms in the University was the Greenhouse. He was sure that he would spend most of his time there.

    Inside the dorm wing, he headed towards the reception so that he could check in and take his bags to his room. He was also just a tiny bit curious about who his roommates would be. He got quite the shock when he entered the room only to discover that it was a sort of short hall that led to three rooms, up ahead being the living room, and to the left the kitchen. The three doors that were spread across the small hall were probably the doors to the rooms. Looking at his paper, he knew that his room was supposed to be 73, but as he looked at the three doors, there was no room number. He felt hot in his dark clothes, and his black cap did nothing to ease the hotness inside the dorm. He couldn’t just take it off either, he needed to look dark. He loved dark after all.

    Looking back at the outer door, he saw the number 73 scribbled with a knife most probably, as if the plaque that was supposed to indicate the number had fallen and something needed to show the number. Changbin felt himself frown. A door suddenly opening made him jump slightly, making him turn around, only to see one of the three doors open. It was the door that had red rose patterns on it, with green vines flowing around the doorknob and magnolias littering the upper corner of it as well. The head that peaked through belonged to a rather tall boy, with dark locks and a soft smile. He looked to be older than Changbin, maybe only with a year.

    “Hey! I suppose you are our new roommate?” Changbin looked at the boy with his mouth slightly opened, surprised that someone else had also decided to come as early as August to the dorms, despite there being another three weeks until University courses began. Under the questioning gaze of the older boy, Changbin coughed and straightened a little bit.

    “Yeah, actually. I’m Seo Changbin, Herbalism Field of Study.” The other’s face lit up when he heard of Changbin’s Field of Study.

    “Wow, I’m in the Herbalism Field of Study as well! My name’s Minho! Lee Minho!” The boy, Minho, extended his arm to greet Changbin, smiling at the younger. Changbin smiled as well and shook hands with him. “I guess you’ll be staying in the room across from mine, since the one next to me is occupied.” Changbin nodded and went to open the bare, white door that he couldn’t wait to decorate to his own will as well, just the way Minho’s was. As he entered the bare, un-personalized room, Minho followed, continuing to speak. “The other roommate is Kim Seungmin, as your file probably says as well. He is younger than you, probably, since I think you are born in 1999?” Changbin nodded at that. “Well, Seungmin and I went to high-school together, and so I know him personally. He is really nice, I assure you. I think you’ll get along.” Minho smiled, urging Changbin to follow him over to the living room and then to the kitchen, telling him what he would and would not find in the…apartment?

    “Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you something. How comes that this is a dorm room? It’s more like an apartment than a dorm room.” Minho laughed out loud at that, allowing himself to fall down on the soft looking sofa. Changbin sat down as well, listening to the older.

    “Well, the University treats its students really well, so they decided that instead of using traditional three person rooms, they chose to build apartments. That way, we all have some sort of privacy, but we still don’t use too much space and the dorm has a lot of it this way. We even have our own bathrooms, so we don’t need to go to the common one.” Changbin really liked that aspect, since he wasn’t a really sociable person. He liked Minho though, and felt as if he could confide in the older.

    “Is there any course regarding Psychology or Mythology?” At that, Minho threw Changbin a look that he couldn’t decipher, though it was gone before he could ponder on it, a smile replacing it.

    “Yeah, there is in fact a course every Friday regarding Mythology and Mythical Psychology.” Changbin felt himself get lighter with joy at hearing that there was a course through which he could study mythology and supernatural. “Although, registrations are only available until tomorrow, so you better register today.” Minho looked at him with wondering eyes, but there was a small knowing smile on his lips. Just as Changbin opened his mouth to ask him regarding his look, Minho got up from the couch and clapped really loudly, before exclaiming that he was going to shop for ingredients to cook dinner for tonight, when Seungmin would also join them. Changbin took that as his cue to go back to his room and unpack his things. Holding the bottles of organic paint and brushes that were provided from the reception lady, he sighed, albeit with a smile. _It’s going to be a long day before I get to finish decorating._ He thought with a chuckle.

    It didn’t, in fact, take that long, since Changbin’s eyes were made to identify different plants, which also made it easy for him to decorate his room. He chose to draw a huge oak tree that had branches going around the rather big window, and then chose to paint a field of Anemones, Anthurium, Gladiolus and Snapdragon, a few of his favorite flowers. After that, he drew a night sky filled with shining stars, and then proceeded to unpack. What was left of the room to decorate was the plain white door, of which he was going to take care of after registering for the Friday Course.

    On his way out, he met with Minho, who threw him a smile, a wave, and then shut the door in his face, holding the grocery bags close to his chest. _It’s going to be fun,_ he mused when he was faced with the way Minho spoke shortly and then closed the door in his face. Dressed still in  black and with the registration papers in hand, he headed for the reception to ask where the course registration was done. He learned that it was done in the opposite side of the University from the dorm, and that he needed to hurry if he wanted to apply. That was when he took off running, ignoring the sign that said not to run.

    Safely reaching the other side since there wasn’t anyone to bump into, he stopped to get his breathing back to normal, and as he turned around to start walking again towards the entrance, someone knocked over him at full speed, just like a lacrosse player. Changbin stood still for a few seconds before he dared to breathe again. There was a heavy weight above him and when he looked down, he saw a mop of blond hair. It was a boy, and said boy was still sitting on him. He had probably been running as well, but unlike Changbin, he didn’t make sure there was no one to run into. When said boy quickly got up, Changbin only got a slight look at his features, which were very unique and…unearthly, and a rushed _sorry_ before the boy ran away, continuing to where he was headed. Changbin wanted to get to know his name if only to yell at him to pay attention around him, and not because he looked really cute. Yeah, not because of that.

    Inside the University, there were several doors that led to classrooms, but Changbin knew that he had to get to the last door on the left and straight ahead, and that there was the professor that would register him for the course that he would be teaching.

    “Umm…Excuse me? I’m looking for…Kim Woojin?” Changbin inquired after he knocked on the door and opened it. A male, that looked to be about the same age as Chan, got up from his desk and smiled welcomingly at Changbin, urging him to come in. He looked unique, and something about him reminded him of the boy that had just ran into him. If Woojin noticed the strange look that Changbin kept throwing at him as he tried to figure out what was different about him, he didn’t say anything until Changbin was done signing the registration paper and was about to leave.

    “You okay, Changbin? You kept looking at me weirdly. Is there something on my face?” Woojin asked, touching his jaw as if checking whether there was indeed something on his face. Changbin shook his head with wide eyes, quickly explaining that a boy with blond hair had knocked over him and that something about Woojin reminded him of the way the boy looked. “And how did the boy look, Changbin?”

    “…Ethereal…” Woojin’s eyes widened the slightest before he laughed. Changbin took note of the way his muscles tensed. Maybe he didn’t like being called ethereal? Changbin was about to apologize when Woojin spoke again.

    “That must’ve been Felix. He got here a few days ago and registered in the same course as you as well. He is quite the airhead, so it doesn’t surprise me that he ran into you.” Changbin nodded, glad that now he could attribute a name to the one that knocked against him at full speed.

    As soon as he left Woojin’s office, his phone lit up with two different notifications at the same time, the oddity of it no longer surprising Changbin at how often it happened. The first notification was from Minho, announcing him that Seungmin arrived with his baggage and that he was currently unpacking, and the second one was from Jisung. He opened the later and opened the group chat.

**3RACHA-Spaghetti**

**binnie:** who named the group ‘Spaghetti’ again?  
**squirrel:** i did ;))))  
**binnie:** i can’t believe you. I know Chan makes great spaghetti, but to name the group chat…you disappoint me, Han Jisung.  
**chris:** I leave you two alone for a second and you already misbehave.  
**squirrel:** your spaghetti are important, okay?!  
**binnie:** I thought something important happened…guess not…  
**squirrel:** binnie, you’re so bad!  
**binnie:** binnie, you’re so good!  
**squirrel:** omG, I CAN’T believe you just said that! Lol  


_squirrel_ changed the group chat name to _Sriracha-Jisung is cool_

 _binnie_ changed the group chat name to _Sriracha-Jisung is not cool, binnie is._

 _Chris_ changed the group chat name to _Sriracha- stop changing the god damned name!_

 **chris:** now that that is out of the way, Changbin, how are you getting accommodated with your Uni?  
**binnie:** dunno. I guess it’s okay? I have a cool dorm and two roommates. One I already met, the other I’ll meet later today. Also I got run over by a guy.  
**squirrel:** was he cuTE?! Did you get his name?! his number?!  
**binnie:** no! maybe because I WAS TOO BUSY WITH MY PAIN! I FELL ON MY ASS, SO NO! _and maybe his name is Felix._  
**squirrel:** aww, poor binnie fell on his ass…Wait!  
**binnie:** squirrel, imam go to you and beat yo ass up if you don’t shut up J)). Wait what?  
**squirrel:** JUST WAIT!

       

**Sunshine boy x Squirrel boy=bff**

**squirrel:** DUDE!! Did you by any change bump into someone at full speed and made them fall on their ass?!  
**sunshineboy:** DUDE WTF?!!!?!!??! Crsjvnrkvnrskn do you see everything now?!  
**squirrel:** no, but Changbin just messaged me and Chan that a boy ran into him at full speed and he said that his name might be Felix.  
**sunshineboy:** so you just ASSUME that its me?!  
**squirrel:** well…is it?  
**sunshineboy:**...maybe?  
**squirrel:** omg this is getting interesting. Uni didn’t even start and I’m already having fun. Oh, and if you’re coming home, buy coffee from L7L’s.  
**sunshineboy:** aww, but I already passed the coffee shop.  
**squirrel:** …  
**sunshineboy:** …fine. But you owe ME Jisungie!! <3  
**squirrel:** <3 <3

**Sriracha-stop changing the god damned name!**

**squirrel:** I’m back  
**chris:** well, Changbin said he’ll be gone for a while to finish his dorm door and meet his other roommate.  
**squirrel:** did he say when he will be back?  
**chris:** I think he said in the morning?  
**squirrel:** ugh, and I wanted to tease him about Felix…  
**chris:** so it’s the same Felix?!  
**squirrel:** YES!  
**chris:** …oh boy….

 

    Inside the dorm, Changbin decided to ignore his friends weird behavior, instead focusing on greeting and getting to know his other roommate as well. Seungmin was indeed nice, although he liked his surrounding to be really clean and didn’t really like loud noises. Otherwise, he was really cool and seemed to like Changbin.

    “I think I need to start looking for a part time job tomorrow. Do you have any ideas?” Changbin asked as they all sat around the table, eating the delicious ramen cooked diligently by Minho earlier that day. Seungmin laughed at the coincidence, since both he and Minho had to go tomorrow as well to look for one, although they wanted to go early in the morning, so Changbin’s plans didn’t really complete well with theirs, so they agreed to meet later the next day after they found their jobs.

    That night, Changbin had a rather weird dream, which involved a fiery eyed boy with blonde hair and an older male with blinding smile and angelic features that welcomed him to the mythology course, his teeth sharp as needles. He woke up with a start, sweat pouring down his back and forehead, breathing ragged. He grabbed his notebook and pen and quickly scribbled down a few lyrics, nightmares and dreams always giving him inspiration. He both loved and hated it at the same time.

    His eyes slowly started to close again as he looked at the beautiful star-filled sky that he painted, at one point believing that he saw the stars actually twinkle.


	2. The Fairy Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Felix runs into Changbin, he can't stop thinking about him on the way back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aloha! I was supposed to update earlier but something interfered which prolonged the wait, so i apologize. Without further ado, here's the second chapter. Here, we get a glimpse into the fairy life.
> 
> For the flowers:  
> Marjoram-joy and happiness  
> Hyacinth-playfullness  
> Daisy-innocence, hope  
> Coriander-hidden worth  
> Sorrel-affection

        After the embarrassing run-in with the older boy from earlier, Felix couldn’t help but feel grateful for having to go back to the L7L café to buy Jisung’s much needed coffee.

        He just knew that as soon as he got home, he would be teased by Chan and Jisung, because the boy that he ran into was their colleague from 3RACHA, and also an old high-school friend.

       Felix didn’t get the chance to meet Changbin during their high-school years because he was quite shy at that time and never had the courage to approach him, and also because he was human, and Felix didn’t really like being around humans, not because they were different from him, but because he couldn’t hide his features really well around them, because he often got too excited and his ears would sharpen, or his eyes would glisten, so he was kept at home or surrounded by Chan, Jisung, Hyunjin and Jeongin in an attempt to make him not think about the humans around him. That, and they also helped at times to conceal his fairy features.

        Although, now that he thought about how his main reason to avoid Changbin was that he was human, he couldn’t help but doubt if it had any logic to do so. When he had ran into Changbin, he had felt something…weird, that indicated that he wasn’t, in fact, human. But, Felix himself didn’t specifically know what he was. He also felt very attracted, like a magnet, to Changbin, and couldn’t stop thinking about him after running into him. He would have to ask Chan and Jisung if they ever felt like that around Changbin. He will ask, if he remembers to do so. To say that he was shocked currently was less than what he actually felt. He felt intrigued, curious, wary and…scared; the way that Felix felt after touching Changbin had made him scared.

        The L7L café was more than welcoming to Felix whenever he went there. The outside wasn’t very spectacular, but on the inside, it was another thing altogether. The walls were painted a soft, baby blue, marks from where the brush was pressed too strongly or where it had less paint were visible, giving it a fresh look. The floor was pure, hard wood, and there were several plants, on the first floor and on the second. Felix and the others, as fairies, couldn’t help but feel attracted to whichever place had as much nature as possible surrounding it. The tables and chairs were made out of soft wood, painted with organic paint a pale yellow with vines curling around the edges. The lights weren’t too low or too bright, they were the perfect intensity that it didn’t hurt their eyes, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee beans and pastries was enough to make Felix’s stomach rumble with hunger more than it did before.

        With a small smile on his face, Felix approached the counter and rang the small silver bell that was stylishly placed on a red dish with vines curling around the edges. There were vines climbing up on the bell as well, looking like hands. Instead of the middle-aged woman that always took care of the commands, the manager himself was running around and towards the counter.

       “Hello, with what…Oh! Felix, it’s so nice to see you again! The usual?” Felix was surprised that the manager of the café recognized him so easily, but he blamed it on the fact that he was the one to order more often than his friends. Nodding, Felix took a seat on the stools that were sitting in a row in front of the counter. The manager nodded and went to prepare the coffee.

        The fact that he couldn’t see any of the faces that he recognized, and that the manager was doing almost everything, made him wonder if something wrong had happened.

        “Manager-nim, did something happen? I mean, there are no recognizable faces around here…” Felix didn’t really know how to explain what he was referring to, because he didn’t really know anyone from the café to call them by name. The manager turned sad when Felix was done speaking, sighing heavily.

        “Ahh, you see, Lyria and her brothers all quit, because they’re all moving back to their home town, so now I’m looking for people to hire, but no one showed up. If this goes on for longer, I’m afraid I might have to close the café.” Felix now understood why the manager looked so down. He himself felt quite sad when he thought about the beautiful café closing down. He rather enjoyed his time here.

        Wishing the manager luck at finding new employees and saving the café, Felix left the café, noticing with glee that one of the plants that was yet to bloom, bloomed just then, one of the flower buds unveiling its red, fiery colored petals. Felix had an idea that his wish of luck would help the manager more than anything else would. Although, he couldn’t get why the café wasn’t more popular among humans. It was just so good!

        Breezy wind blew against Felix’s warm body, making him shiver despite the raised summer temperature. He hadn’t visited Earth as often as Chan or Jisung did, and now that he could never go back to his home, he surely was glad that he enjoyed his home as much as possible. He just couldn’t get used to the lower temperatures of Earth and the forest-ridden territory. Humans seemed to prefer dead, cement homes rather than the lively nature; Felix couldn’t help but feel sorry for the foolish race.

        His sharp ears picked up the sound of voices, making him rush towards the start of the forest so that he could hide behind a tree. He hated encountering humans, because they were much too curious beings, and seeing as he tried to hide the fact that he was a fairy, it was dangerous for him.

        The path that Felix had to take to reach home wasn’t really out in the open, and more obviously, wasn’t visible to the human eye. The gravel pathway that led humans straight through the forest diverged for him, leading far away to the right and deeper into the luscious green with sunrays captured amongst the tall branches.

        One of the things that Felix really loved regarding Earth was the forests. While they didn’t compare at all to the forests back in the Fairy Realm, they resembled the forest that Felix had played in when he was his younger self, along with Chan. He had known the older for longer than he did Jisung, Jeongin and Hyunjin, and so he knew him better; although no one could argue with him when he said that Jisung was one of the most lovable fairies out there or when he said that Hyunjin had a certain hidden aspect of his that made him feel really secure, because he knew better. Jeongin was loved by all of them because the earth fairy was more than cute and smart and witty. Felix truly loved his family.

        After walking for what felt like forever, the two story house came into Felix’s view, making a smile bloom on his features, his eyes holding hues of golden and orange out of glee. The ward felt warm as Felix stepped through. He glanced up, looking at the lively painted house, the vibrant colors shifting at their own will. Pixies were flying all over the roof and across the courtyard, making a barely visible, and glimmering in the sunlight dust cover the area. Felix breathed in deeply, feeling the dust tickle his nose, the smell of flowers delighting him. He felt the warm breeze blow through his hair, and suddenly, it felt more like home than outside on the cement street, filled with bustling humans and constructions.

        He started walking again, swiftly getting closer to the wooden front door that held a braided crown with flowers of all types, although five of them were visibly bigger than the others, representing each of the residents in the house. The flowers didn’t really represent them as fairies; it had been just a simple game that Hyunjin came up with when they were lounging around the backyard, after the hustle for University application was over.

        In the game, they had to pick flowers that represented each of them best and create a flower crown, but then, since the pixies agreed that all of them were equally beautiful, Jeongin decided to use his magic and fuse them, creating the beautiful Marjoram, Hyacinth, Daisy, Coriander and Sorrel flower crown.

        Since Felix hadn’t known what flower represented him the best, he had asked for his friends to choose one, and they had chosen light purple marjoram flowers, saying that they suited his joyful and happy personality. Due to Felix being a fire fairy, his energy, braveness and rather volatile personality was understandable. Despite them not being his most favorite flowers, the fact that his family had chosen them for him had been enough to make him smile fondly every time he saw the braided crown of flowers.

        When he was about to place his hand on the doorknob, he heard footsteps rapidly approach the door. His eyes widened and he barely had enough time to take a step back before the door opened and through it went flying Jeongin, laughing loudly and springing around the courtyard, barely noticing Felix. He was dressed in black pants and a checkered blue and white shirt, black hair shining under the sun. His green eyes were mischievously running around. Jisung followed soon after, barreling through the door, eyes aflame and ears sharpened.

        “YA! Come back here, you rascal!” Jisung shouted, trying to catch Jeongin. Felix, unnoticed by the two dueling fairies, sneaked inside the house and closed the door, pressing his back against it and sighing heavily.

        “Sup’.” Felix screamed. He didn’t expect to see Hyunjin’s grinning face so close to his, sharp fangs visible. Hyunjin only winked at him, his dark eyes holding hues of blue. He was wearing black shorts and a white sleeveless shirt, his dark hair unruly. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Did you finish scanning our schedules with Woojin?” Hyunjin questioned, allowing the boy to head to the kitchen. Woojin was a friend of theirs, although he wasn't really a fairy, but a mixed blood, being half fairy and half nixie.  Felix grabbed a hold of a pear before he sat down, munching on it. He nodded, reached his left jacket pocket and taking out the bundled up set of papers and extending them towards Hyunjin.

        “The schedules aren’t as tough as I expected them to be, and since university starts in three weeks, we still have time to laze around and practice magic, don’t we?” Felix inquired, receiving a raised eyebrow from Hyunjin.

        “We do, but we need to get ready for university as well.” A new voice resounded and both boys turned around to greet the oldest in the house. Chan was standing in the door frame, elbows supported on the frames on either side of him, smile gracing his features. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, his light blond hair ruffled as if by the wind. His ears were sharpened as well, eyes fully amber and sclera black. Felix was wondering if something caused him to allow his eyes to fully shift to their natural state. Felix and the others always wondered why Chan had a black sclera, since none of them did. In fact, no fairy ever had.

        “Chan! When did you get back?!” Hyunjin shouted, having believed until then that Chan would come back at sunset. Seeing as they were all fairies and not from the human world, they needed special documents made, so that humans wouldn’t question them too much. In the papers, they were all orphans, living together under Chan’s supervision. How they finished high-school and were now going to university? Well, firstly, they were old enough, too old in fact, despite looking just like they were 17 and 20 respectively, and secondly, not all humans had the ability to see past their enchantment enough to question them whether they were allowed to even go to University and done with high-school.

        If they were able to indeed see, they could simply say that they were so smart that they skipped years, and with a little bit of magic, they could trick any human. Chan was going into his third year, while Hyunjin, Jisung, Jeongin and Felix were all first years. Felix felt rather nervous going to university. High-school had been rather boring, but he knew that at University he would get to actually study what he wanted, and will actually get to see Chan and the others there, not like in high school. Each of them had went to different high-schools so that no one could link them together and start noticing that neither of them grew even the tiniest bit old throughout all years. Felix, Chan and Jisung managed, though, to go to the same high-school.

        “Felix? Hey, Felix…”

        “What?” Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked up to the expectant eyes of Chan, noticing that Hyunjin was gone. Just how long had he been out of it? Chan’s eyes softened when he saw the worry hidden in Felix’s eyes.

        “I was saying that I need some help in the kitchen, and since Hyunjin bolted away just a minute ago and you’re left here…” Chan grinned, making Felix groan. Of course Hyunjin had ran away. No one liked to prepare food with Chan, because that involved living, talking plants and roots, and Felix never enjoyed listening to the Ruwar complain about the poor soil as he cut it accordingly to Chan's instructions.

        Sure enough, the other enjoyed it, because he was a wind witch with an affinity for earth, allowing him to control and help the plants that grew in the backyard, although Jeongin did a better job at it than Chan. Felix nodded at Chan, grateful that he didn’t question him regarding the worried look in his eyes that he knew the elder observed, no matter how hard he tried to hide it away.

        “Good, then it’s settled. You’ll be my assistant. I’m thinking about making howling ribbon with green seeds. How ‘bout it?” Chan asked with gleeful eyes, looking up at Felix with expectation. Felix, not feeling strong enough to reject Chan’s offer when looking so happy, sighed, smiling afterwards to assure Chan that it was okay.

        It wasn’t that the howling ribbon with green seeds was bad, it tasted wonderful in fact, but the howling ribbon made enough noise to make Felix’s ears bleed whenever he approached the little bastard. Chan, sensing Felix’s reluctance when he heard about the howling ribbon, assured the younger that he will have Jeongin put it to sleep before bringing it in the kitchen.

        Later, when Jisung came to check up on Felix and Chan, he couldn’t help but laugh at the sight before him and snap pictures of them with his camera: both Chan and Felix were having pink aprons tied around their waists and chef hats on their heads, their ears pushed slightly down by them. Now, Chan no longer had black sclera and amber eyes, having shifted back before starting to cook without even noticing.

        That night was filled with laughter as they ate the food made by Chan, the pixies dancing in the air around the table and music playing in the background from Chan’s phone. The lights that were once white were now switching between green and blue, accompanying the bioluminescent plants that were all around the house. _This is what being home means,_  were Felix’s last thoughts before he was dragged away to dance with Jisung, hearing Hyunjin laugh back at the table as he listened to Chan explain how Felix ran into Changbin.


	3. Not an Update

        Hey guys, i know, this isn't an update, but i wanted to ask you something. Should I leave Jeongin alone, without a ship, add Bang Yedam, or make a poly thinngie? I added this question because it just passed through my mind and i can't really decide what i should do :))) anyway, for Jeongin, i won't develop on the romantic side until a few chapters in, so there's enough time to decide and for you to vote :)))

Just comment down below on this chapter what you would like to see ;)))

Thanks and keep smiling always, life has so much more to offer than you know ;)


	4. L7L

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix's blessed flower leads Changbin to L7L unknowingly. Felix's hair also catches fire?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, this is the third chapter of the book, but since AO3 marks every update with Chapter... i shall say this is Chapter 4:))))

_Knock. Knock. Knock._ Through the haze of sleep, Changbin barely managed to hear the knocking that took place just outside his door. He was just so tired. He had so many dreams that night that tore his rest away and he didn’t even remember them. He had seen different flashes of faces, heard voices, small giggles and despite the fact that he should be disturbed by them, he was used to dreams as such.

        When he tried to go back to sleep, he heard a quite loud thud and then a muffled _fuck_ and he decided that he should be a good roommate and get up to check on the others and see what was going on. Back at home, his aunt always took care to wake him up in the mornings, but now she won’t be able to do that anymore, so he definitely needed to get used to setting up an alarm and actually waking up to it. Or, he might as well resort to adding multiple alarms in case he slept through the first one.

        Throwing the blankets hastily off of him, he grabbed a hoody from his desk chair and put it on him before going towards the door. On his way, he happened to look to his right where a body mirror was, and what shocked him was that his eyes were weird for a second. He blamed it on the fact that he was still tired and couldn’t comprehend things fully, and maybe he just imagined it. Those weird giggles felt even weirder now.

        “Shh, you’ll wake him up!” Seungmin whisper shouted at Minho, who was struggling to hold the wardrobe upright. Both of them were breathing heavily after having to carry the two wardrobes and tables and boxes from downstairs and up to their dorm room. It was a surprise that their other roommate hadn’t woken up by now. Seungmin, sighing heavily, went towards the kitchen, exclaiming that Minho might as well just drop the wardrobe down and have a seat so that they could rest for a bit.  Dejected, Minho dropped the wardrobe, without checking whether it was safe to do so firstly.

        “ _Fuck!”_ Minho hissed, clutching his injured foot and jumping on one leg over to the couch. Seungmin just looked at him with a frown, shaking his head, while Minho smiled innocently. Wordlessly, Seungmin went over to the fridge and took out two bottles of water, giving one to Minho and the other keeping it for himself. The coffee that they had made earlier in the morning was long gone cold, as were the sandwiches. They barely had enough time, as Minho said, to bring everything in before Changbin woke up. They were mostly done anyway.

        “So…” Changbin began as he stopped right in front of the hall entrance. Both Minho and Seungmin jumped, scared by the sudden voice. Changbin found it funny that they were looking at him as if they were guilty of something, and when he looked around the living room, he understood just why. All over the living room was dust and pieces of wood, stuff that still needed put together and there were also two huge wardrobes that seemed large and two tables, stored right in the middle of the room.

        The TV and its supporting cupboard was covered with a white piece of cloth. The black sofa was pushed all the way back to the window, the pink rose colored curtains caught in the wheels and pulled straight, looking almost as if it would snap, the maroon carpet underneath bunched up at the corners, one of them even caught by the corner of one of the wardrobes. There were boxes stacked all over each other on the small coffee table and Changbin feared that it would snap and shards of glass would fly all over.

        “We wanted to surprise you with this.” Minho explained, rubbing nervously at the nape of his neck. His cheeks were lightly tinted red and the way he seemed to avoid Changbin’s gaze was quite cute. Without meaning to, Changbin chuckled, making Seungmin’s eyes fly to look up at him. The younger was also trying to avoid Changbin’s gaze, thinking that the older, more serious male would be upset with them waking him up and into disaster. He was actually surprised that he chuckled.

      “With what did you want to surprise me? Cleaning duty?” Changbin joked, making Minho and Seungmin laugh as well, relaxing after understanding that Changbin was in no way upset. Minho then got up, forgetting about his still aching toe, and started to explain to Changbin how the wardrobes and tables belong to him, but he only needs one and since they are both at the same field of study, he wanted to give the other set to Changbin for use. The younger was surprised, but he felt really happy, especially when Minho told him that he could use them to store plants for their annual projects and even for his own personal experiments.

        “Where are we going to place them though? They’re quite…massive.” Changbin inquired, looking again at the wardrobe that was, unfortunately, taller than him. Minho simply winked and ushered Changbin after him.

        “Since we are going to stay here for almost six years, the University also gave us an office room that is empty of furniture but bigger than the living room. Since we are only three, it has more than enough space.” Opening the door to the right of the living room that Changbin hadn’t notice was there, he was left in shock after seeing the huge space that resided inside. The walls were painted white with a single green vine that swirled on the ceiling in a huge spiral. The two windows that were on the front and left wall had maroon painted frames and there were black shutters over them, pulled just enough so that the sunlight filtered through but didn’t heat up the room too much. The floor was a true piece of art. The floor tiles were transparent, and underneath them was visible a huge painting, that went from one corner to the other, of a black mountain bear surrounded by greenery.

        “This is almost like a Hogwarts dream…” Changbin muttered, stepping forward without even looking away from the painting, only going further in to see it better. Minho and Seungmin shared a look, both smiling at their roommate’s amazement. They had been informed of what they would find in the dorm apartment, but apparently Changbin hadn’t been. When Minho turned back to look at Changbin, he thought that he saw Changbin’s eyes flicker with blue for a second, which made him frown. _No way…_ Minho moved forward to ask Changbin, but then he thought that it would be weird so he decided not to.

        Even though Minho said that there was no furniture, there was, in fact, a desktop to their right, and after questioning its presence, Seungmin said that it was his. He had brought it in way before Minho woke up because he had wanted the elder to rest more instead of help him, so he was quite grateful that he didn’t wake up when the front door almost banged against the wall. Minho just pouted, saying that he wanted to take care of his younglings.

        “How about we bring those things in and see how it looks, ey?” Seungmin suggested, smiling when both Minho and Changbin nodded way too eagerly. Despite the huge hustle that followed after, the result was wonderful. Now that the wardrobes and the tables were placed accordingly, Changbin could take a better look at them. The wardrobes were tall, reaching up to the ceiling and leaving little to no space between them and the ceiling. There were several shelves, some smaller and some bigger, the last one before the table being extensible. The table was attached to the wardrobe’s mechanism, being half inside the wide lower half of it. The solid table was painted a pale cream color, and there were so many extensible sides and drawers attached to the table that Changbin couldn’t even count them all without actually losing the count. After bringing in the boxes as well and opening them up, Changbin recognized that most of the books were on Herbalism, thought there were some books of Alchemy slipped in through them.

        “Are we going to study alchemy as well?” Changbin inquired as he placed the last book, which happened to be on alchemy, on the last shelf with the help of a small ladder. Minho shook his head.

        “No, we won’t, in fact. It’s just been a kind of hobby to me ever since I was little; although I think that we have a class that focuses on the chemical components of plants only, so you could sort of think of that class as alchemy.” Minho explained, now seated in front of the table, having finished with his wardrobe faster than Changbin. Minho still looked as refreshed as in the morning, despite having spent almost four hours among books, while Changbin was in desperate need of a coffee, and the cold one back in the kitchen was long gone.

        “Minho, I think I’m going to go buy myself some coffee and have a look around the area to get used to it, alright?” Minho nodded and left the room, saying that he was going to find Seungmin so that they could go and get their schedules and ask when their books will be given.

        Now alone in the room, Changbin looked for a few moments out the window, flexing his muscles and limbs in an attempt to relax even if only a little. He almost choked on thin air when he saw something fly up by the window, something small, and then heard the same soft giggles that haunted his dreams. Yup, he definitely needed that coffee. Ignoring the way his heartbeat rose significantly in frequency, he headed for the hanger nailed on the right side of the front door and grabbed his black cap and messenger bag before shouting a loud _bye_ and opening the door. He felt weird but in a pleasant way when he heard two other voices replying. It brought his mind back home to his aunt, whom he thought he should’ve called as soon as he got registered, although something told him that she wouldn’t pick up. After all, she was quite busy most of the time with her oversea work.

 

****

 

        Felix felt quite weird. He fell asleep at his normal hour, early in the night, but when he woke up, he felt drained of energy. It was as if he had been walking all night long. The loud voices from downstairs weren’t helping either. He couldn’t quite figure out whether it was night or day, since his shutters were stopping any sign of light to step in. That was one of the first spells that Felix learned from Jisung, since the other hated waking up from sunlight as well.

        He heard a buzzing sound move from his right ear to his left and felt something tickle his nose, almost making him sneeze. He  sensed the smell of Magnolias, and when he opened his eyes to the darkness, he saw a pair of red eyes glare into his, wings shimmering in the darkness. Raising a hand, Felix gently pushed away the pestering pixie, trying to get in more sleep, but apparently, his favorite pixie, Shiaj, just wouldn’t let him be. Seeing that the fairy didn’t have any intention of waking up, he turned around with his back towards Felix before he started to shake his body as if he was having seizures. In doing so, large quantities of pixie dust fell from his wings and onto Felix’s face, coating his face in a shimmering dust, making Felix jump up in the bed almost immediately and start sneezing like crazy. Beside him Shiaj was giggling like there was no tomorrow, poking his tongue out at the fire fairy. Felix’s eyes lit up with the color of living fire, making Shiaj squeak and hide behind the covers. Felix sighed, dragging a hand over his face. Now, he surely won’t be going back to sleep.

        Bringing his hand in front of him, Felix snapped his fingers and blew in the direction of the light bulb above him, sending a flame towards it. The room immediately lit up from the soft glow, illuminating Felix’s way towards the door. You would think that after living for almost fifty years inside said house would make him know every tiny corner of it, yet he still stumbles over his words when indicating towards the kitchen. It’s either that, or Hyunjin just loves to make the rooms around the house shift at will.

        The voices from downstairs were still at war, and if Felix would’ve had wings, he would’ve taken the window rather than walk down the stairs where Hyunjin and Jisung were shouting at each other at the base of them. Reluctantly, he tried to side step around them and go to the kitchen unnoticed, but then Hyunjin’s fingers lit up with blue flames that were licking up his palm, causing Jisung to squeak in fear and grab a hold of Felix’s forearm and drag him in front  of him.

        “Help me mate!” Jisung shouted, holding onto Felix tightly when the other groaned and tried to step away. Hyunjin, just as he was about to throw the ball of burning blue flames in Jisung’s direction, he froze, staring at Felix, before he came really close to his face, making Felix freeze. Ever since Hyunjin got drunk on New Year’s Eve once, Felix always flinched in surprise whenever Hyunjin got too close to him, but not out of fear or anything else, but because he didn’t want to be taken by surprise anymore. He loved Hyunjin just as much as he loved Jisung and Chan and Jeongin. He loved them all too much to be considered normal. After all, they were all fairies, and their lives were tied together by their own deity. They were all to be together, a family, forever.

        “Your freckles…” Hyunjin began, his voice deeper than normal, sharp ears fluttering curiously, eyes moving over Felix’s face, shining brighter than before. Felix felt Hyunjin’s breath fawn over his face as he spoke. He still felt Jisung’s hands bunching his t-shirt between his fingers as he remained behind his back, partially hiding and partially peeking over his shoulder to see what was happening, his ears also fluttering nervously. “…they’re really sparkling. Did Shiaj sprinkle you with dust again? I heard you sneeze a lot.” Now Felix was really scared, immediately throwing a sideway look to Jisung, his eyes asking _why the fuck is Hyunjin’s voice so high?! He sound like a possessed little girl from horror movies!_ Jisung’s eyes just widened even more if possible before he hid behind Felix, completely this time. When Felix turned around again to look at Hyunjin, he noticed how, in the bioluminescent light, his hair sported several different colors. Hyunjin grinned sadistically in Jisung’s direction.

        “Now you get why I’m after the little squirrel. How about you step aside so that I-“ Hyunjin was interrupted by another voice yelling angrily as well.

        “Jisung! We always told you to do earth spells _outside_ and _not_ inside, now didn’t we?! Now my plants are crying!” Jeongin yelled, probably from inside the garage room. Felix cringed at the loud, piercing voice of the earth fairy. Jisung whimpered behind his back, making Felix sigh. Hyunjin seemed to be much calmer now, asking with his eyes that Felix fixed him back, since only another fire fairy can lift a spell that another fire fairy casted.

        Placing both of his hands on Hyunjin’s shoulders, he was the one to lean in this time, inhaling deeply at Hyunjin’s neck where his vocal cords would be. Orange dust flew through Hyunjin’s soft skin, going into Felix’s body. Felix felt how the spell disintegrated, although he also felt tired now, especially since Jisung got stronger at casting spells.

        “About the hair, I think it suits you, really.” Felix exclaimed with a smile, ruffling Hyunjin’s hair. Hyunjin pouted, fingers brushing through his hair as well, sometimes trying to see what colors it had. When he heard from Jisung that his hair would return to normal after a few days, he sighed, relaxing. Explaining that he would go to check on Jeongin’s flowers, smiling at Felix and thanking him before leaving.

        “Thanks, Lix.” Jisung sighed heavily, his head falling against Felix’s shoulder blades. Felix looked at him from the corner of his eyes, noticing the drenched hair locks as well and the wet cuffs of his shirt. Hyunjin probably got him earlier in the morning as well before Jisung managed to run away. Sighing, Felix turned his hands behind his back and tickled Jisung’s tummy, making him recoil and chuckle.

        “You’re welcome, but really, stop trying to practice earth magic inside. It won’t function well either, that’s why it’s recommended to be made outside. Now, come on, I want to go have breakfast already. Did Chan make it?” Jisung nodded and allowed himself to be dragged towards the kitchen by the cuff of his shirt. He noticed how Felix’s fingers warmed up, the tips of his hair turning to orange as well as Jisung’s cuffs and hair slowly dried of water. Jisung thanked the younger in his mind, a small smile growing on his lips; Felix would always have his back, no matter what.

        “Channie! I’m hungryyy…” Felix whisper shouted, frowning when he found the kitchen table empty. From the corner of his eyes, Jisung noticed the air next to him shimmer somehow, making him frown. When he discovered what it was, it was already too late, as Felix was knocked down on the ground, a wild Chan tickling the life out of him. Jisung barely contained his laughter as the younger writhed on the ground, trying to escape Chan’s cage.

        “Staahp!!! Do you really want me to start screaming?!!!” Felix did anyway, laughing until there were tears coming out from the corners of his eyes and trailing down his temples. Chan had a grin so big that he resembled the Cheshire cat.

        “I will stop if you remember to ask nicely next time.” Chan offered, referring to how Felix simply burst inside the kitchen, which was and will always be Chan’s territory, without saying any _good morning_ or _please oh mighty Chan, I request your awesome food._ Chan didn’t really expect any of that, but he simply loved whenever he had a reason to tickle-torture the younger.

        When he thought Felix was barely breathing anymore, Jisung patted Chan on the back, saying that it was enough torture, but that only meant that Jisung was next.

        From the garage room, both Hyunjin and Jeongin laughed together as they enjoyed Jisung’s and Felix’s happy screams and loud laughter.

        When Chan deemed it enough, he got up and looked at the two almost passed out fire fairies lying on the floor. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how dramatic Jisung and Felix were, seeing as Jisung had his tongue hanging dead to one side and Felix had his hands crossed over his chest. Felix, breaking the act, opened one eyes to glimpse at Chan, laughing when Chan winked at him and offered him a hand. Felix gratefully grabbed it and allowed himself to be pulled up by Chan, helping Jisung as well afterwards.

        When they sat down at the table in wait for the breakfast to be laid down, Felix was lost in his thoughts, patting at his cheeks and feeling the dust on his skin. When he moved his fingers away to look at them, he noticed that Shiaj’s pixie dust was white unlike the other pixies, whose dust usually was golden.

        As his other hand laid on the table unmoved, it was quite shocking to Felix when he felt sharp canines bite at his forearm. Jumping away and holding his hand close to his chest, he looked at the culprit, realizing that it was Jisung who bit him.

        “I’m not food!” Chan started to laugh while Jisung only pouted and laid his head back on the table the same way as before.

 

****

 

        After wandering around for so long and not finding a café, Changbin wanted to knock himself over the head for not installing a map app or asking indications from Minho. He kept on walking, though, his hope thin but still there. His feet sort of ached, and the hot sun was almost high up in the sky, making it a horrible time to wear all black.

        When he almost felt like giving up and entering a tea shop and buying a green tea, he saw a bright orange flower that caught his eye. It was so brilliantly colored, and it was also the only one that was bloomed out of all the small and young flower buds. He saw a little sign hung on the inner wall of the big window, right next to the flower. He couldn’t see too well inside because of the bright sun, so he needed to get closer and squint his eyes a little bit. After the street was clear of cars, he walked over to the other side and peered at the sign: _We are hiring baristas. Come inside to check in for more details._ It was quite funny how there was a little smiley face drawn at the end of the text. Thankful for finding a café finally, he entered and was greeted with the most beautiful café he ever went into. The walls were painted a baby blue color with careful strokes of a big brush, the chairs and tables were pure wood and everything felt just so…natural to him.  He really liked the atmosphere.

        The only persons that he saw in the entire coffee were a couple sitting at one of the table and drinking coffee while looking over some textbooks together and a male in his mid-forties sitting behind the countertop with his head between his hands. When he heard Changbin’s feet clicking against the wood floor, he looked up and Changbin noticed how his eyes were tinted red, as if he had cried.

        “Ah, welcome to the L7L café! What could I get you?” The man asked, sitting up straighter and smiling softly, despite the sadness in his eyes and the tiredness on his skin. Changbin took a seat on the stools in front of the countertop and frowned, placing his hands down on the cold black and white marble countertop.

        “I came here for the part-time job.” It was as if Changbin had said that he would give a million dollars to the man, for said man looked as if he would burst out of happiness after Changbin said _job_. The man almost ran to the back of the café, telling Changbin to wait just a second. When he returned, he was carrying a set of papers.

        “Here you have the contract, the schedule and all the possible instructions on how to work with the instruments and how to prepare each beverage. You, young man, just made my whole life happier, trust me! I was so close to shutting the café down after my last workers left and here you are, just my luck. I guess that Felix’s wish of luck really worked wonders.” Changbin’s brain wired up when he heard the name _Felix_ but then his rational thoughts quenched down the weird phenomenon, telling Changbin that the man couldn’t be referring to the same Felix of which he talked with Jisung and Chan.

        “So that was why you were upset earlier?” The man, whom Changbin now assumed to be the boss of the café, nodded, making Changbin smile, happy that he managed to help someone as well as find a place where he could work part-time. “Then I am glad that I came inside. By the way, could you tell me what that flower is?” Changbin asked, pointing to the flower with only one bud bloomed, noticing now that the flower also had pink tinted petals that mingled with the bright orange.

        “Oh, that is the Peony Lactiflora Felix Supreme, but we call it shortly PF Supreme. It’s quite wonderful a flower, isn’t she?” Changbin decided to simply ignore the way everything seemed to connect back to Felix that day. He didn’t even know the boy yet, god dammit. “Should I assume you are a flower enthusiast?”

        “Ah, yes, I am, but I am also going to KOA University under the Herbalism field of study.” The boss nodded, a smile springing on his face. Changbin and the man, whom he learned was called Siege, kept on talking as Changbin analyzed the manual after he signed the contract, until Changbin’s phone buzzed with a new message, the screen lighting up. Frowning, he picked up his phone, making sure that Siege had stopped talking and was now tending to a customer that had just entered.

                                                                                                                                                                       ** _3-matryoshka dolls_**

 **squirrel:** binnie, answer J))))  
**binnie:** binnie here on duty. What’s up Jisung?  
**squirrel:** ….the sky…  
**binnie:** …..  
**binnie:** that’s old…  
**squirrel:** O_O that never gets old. You’re old!  
**chris:** what Jisung wanted to say is that we all get old, right Jisung?  
**squirrel:** hah, not really o-O.  
**binnie:**????  
**chris:** nothing, ignore Jisung.  
**binnie:** I was already doing that…hehehe  
**squirrel:** don’t ‘hehehe’ me, you’re just two meanies.  
**chris:** _anyway_ , as I was saying, or wanting to say earlier: Changbin, you up for a meeting at Livander’s Tea? I wrote some lyrics that I want you to check for Hoodie Season ;)  
**squirrel:** Chan! Felix’s hair caught fire!  
**binnie:** _what?!_

 _squirrel_  has gone _offline  
                                                                                 chris _ has gone _offline_

 **binnie:** guys!

        Sighing heavily and wondering what the heck happened and how in the world could Felix’s hair catch flames, Changbin got up from the counter and smiled kindly at Siege before leaving the café, stuffing the papers inside his messenger bag.

        He tried to figure out exactly where Livander’s Tea would be, seeing as he never went there. They usually met up at Chikachu, but apparently, Chan had other thoughts. Asking Siege about the location might’ve been an idea, but he didn’t want the other to know that he didn’t know his way around, so he stuck to walking down the street. After all, Chan didn’t specify a certain hour, and he surely didn’t have anything better to do then, other than nurse a warm cup of tea after he will find the Tea House.

 

****

       

        Inside his room, Felix was practicing fire magic with Jisung, the only fire fairy inside the house beside him. They were practicing fire manipulation on a set of candles that were soon about to burn out. Both he and Jisung were sitting with their legs crossed on the bed facing each other, candles placed between them on a wooden plate. Felix kept on playing with the candle flame as Jisung kept on typing his life away on the phone, laughing from time to time.

        Felix tried playing with the flames, making them change shape and even color, but the color phase didn’t really work. There were pixies hanging around on the back of a chair, giggling quietly and speaking in hushed tones, probably gossiping, while Shiaj was sitting on his stomach in front of the candles, legs up and crossed, swinging them forwards and backwards with his head propped on his palms, looking quite bored. His red eyes were following Felix’s moves, noticing with quite the happiness that his pixie dust didn’t get removed from Felix’s face, making his freckles sparkle in the fire of the candles. There was no other light beside them, making Felix’s freckles look like a whole constellation of stars.

        “AH!” Felix exclaimed all of a sudden, making both Shiaj and Jisung jump and turn to look at him, their eyes widening when they noticed that Felix’s hair was on fire. Felix himself was panicking, shouting things like _my beautiful hair_ or _I’m gonna go bald!_

        Jisung quickly told Chan that Felix’s hair caught on fire before he threw his phone away and rose up on his knees, trying to somehow stop the fire, only to notice that Felix’s hair wasn’t burning. It literally _caught_ fire and was now flowing freely through the strands of hair, making Felix look like a living torch.

        “Lix, you stupid! You’re a fire fairy! _You can’t burn!_ ” That seemed to stop Felix’s panic from raging on, making him look up at Jisung with a dumbfounded face, making Jisung burst out laughing while the door was thrown open, revealing a wild Chan with flour on his face and his chef hat almost falling. When he saw Felix’s hair on flames, he couldn’t help but laugh, making Felix’s cheeks turn an even darker color of red.

        “I can’t believe you would forget something like this, Lix. I’m sure you gave Changbin quite the scare Jisung.” Chan exclaimed, sitting down on the bed while Jisung kept on combing Felix’s hair, making the fire die down. When Felix heard Changbin’s name, he remembered how he was supposed to talk with Jisung and Chan about him.

        “Ah! Now that you’re saying, I wanted to ask you something. Is Changbin human?” Felix inquired, feeling strange when Jisung and Chan shared a look. “What?”

        “Why are you asking this Felix?”

        “Well, when I stumbled into him, there was this weird feeling as if he wasn’t human, and…there was also this weird magnetic pull, but I don’t quite get that.” Chan’s eyes widened for nothing more than a millisecond, before he shook his head.

        “Well, Changbin was always quite weird for a human being, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling him anything else other than human.” Chan replied, staring at Felix.

        “Yeah, maybe he simply is a human with an affinity towards magic.” Jisung continued, now relaxed, his hands still combing gently through Felix’s hair. Chan simply smiled at the two younglings, before getting up while saying that the cake would burn if he stays away from it for longer.

        Jisung smiled when Felix pushed the wooden tray of candles and settled himself with his back against Jisung’s chest, enjoying the way Jisung worked his way through his locks relaxingly. Jisung could almost feel the happiness radiating from Felix. He knew the younger loved having his hair played with.


	5. Warrior Fairies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changbin meets up with Jisung and Chan while a guest is visiting the fairie's house. Quite a lot description this time...i think :)))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The crash last night was quite scary to be honest. While the site was down i was so lost :(((((  
> Chapter unbetaed this time for i was in a hurry to go to school :)) Enjoy, Comment, and Kudos to you for reading ;)

        Sitting down in Livander’s Tea, Changbin took his time in choosing one of the many tea specialties that the Tea House offered. It was thought to be one of the greatest Tea Houses in the area, and if Chan and Jisung said that they should meet there, then it was good. Changbin thought so as well, as soon as he stepped inside. The area had an old, ancient feeling to it, the walls painted a dark brown with golden attachments, such as stars and flowers, the ground covered in lavender painted wood, tables of glass and chairs covered in cream leather with spongy interiors. On every table, there was a vase filled to the brim with various colorful flowers, and the table was quite big enough to fit at least five persons. It was quite perfect for writing lyrics on it. The interior was quite large and there was soft music playing in the background as well, the wind chime from outside created a soft, hypnotic atmosphere.

        His thoughts went back to his aunt. He knew he missed her, his only living family, and knew that she missed him as well and would’ve come with him to Seoul, but her work was keeping her away. She needed to take care of the company, go to meetings oversea and manage contracts all on her own, because her husband was long gone. She was a divorced woman who stood proud and strong as the head of her own company and took care of everything. She loved Changbin so much, and it had broken her heart when the cat was out of the bag that Changbin would leave home to pursue his dreams. He had been so close to giving up rather than hurt his aunt, the only one that had treated him the way a mother would, but something in him told him to go, whispered it in his ear, and then there he was, in front of the huge university with swirling patterns on the cold stone walls, the big gates that were opening, the officer that guided him inside and towards the entrance exam classrooms, and then out to the notice with the results and when Changbin saw himself quite close to the top in his branch, he just knew that he made the right choice.

        Changbin felt himself relax even more after he drank the lemon tea with a few cinnamon biscuits, the slight headache that he had been nursing for the past thirty minutes dimming in intensity. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he also felt quite warm. He was sure he wasn’t sick, though.

        After about fifteen more minutes after his arrival, the door chimed open again. When he turned around, he saw Chan and Jisung, both dressed casually and bearing messenger bags, quite similar to his own. Jisung was wearing a yellow, almost golden t-shirt that said _‘I am your Sunshine, but my Luna keeps running away”_ and jeans, his chocolate brown hair ruffled as always, his dark eyes gleaming with the smile that he wore, and Changbin could’ve sworn that he was close to jumping from the amount of energy that he always stored in him. Chan was also dressed quite similar to Jisung, albeit he was wearing a white t-shirt instead of a yellow one, his blond and black curly hair tamed. When they noticed Changbin, they waved at him, Jisung smiling brightly. Despite always saying that he was annoying, anyone could see that Jisung had a special place in Changbin’s heart.

        “So, what do you think of this place, Mr. Dark?” Chan inquired, settling himself next to Changbin, Jisung taking the other place next to him. Changbin grimaced and shot Chan a look, making him laugh.

        “I guess it’s nice.” Changbin said, opting for an answer that didn’t really contain just how happy the place made him. He knew that Chan could see it anyways. That man was so quick at reading feelings that it scared Changbin at times. He could never hide things from Chan for too long. Sometimes it was a good thing, because Changbin had the tendency to hide his problems away, even if he needed help. “Did you bring your lyrics?”

        Chan started to smile as he took out his notebook. “I think these would fit quite well, but I thought it would be best to argue them together and see whether they were truly fit, yeah?” They nodded, allowing Chan to take out his notebook. Since Jisung already knew some of the lyrics, he pushed the notebook towards Changbin, allowing him to skip through the parts already written, jumping straight to Chan’s latest production. Along the page and next to the lyrics were doodles of strange things that Changbin didn’t really recognize but understood, though he didn’t really get how he did.

 _‘If I get hot, don’t get sticky, it’s not that I hate you, why are you suddenly misunderstanding?_  
Rodeo finding love, there’s a lot of things I like, I’m worrying alone,  
Stussy meeting every now and then with you, champion, girl, you’re so beautiful,  
Omg the way you look at me, I’m being doubted, what you people want from me.  
No matter what you say to me, my love for you never stop cause I was talking about my hoodie.’

        While reading through them, Changbin felt himself nod, hearing the beat in his mind and how the lyrics fit to it. Though, there was an underlying though in his mind about the lyrics that he couldn’t help but laugh at.

        “Chan…are you speaking about your hoodie or your non-existent girlfriend?” Jisung started cackling loudly before Changbin even got to finish what he wanted to say. Chan was looking at the both of them with such an offended face that they almost thought he would get up and leave them then and there.

        “Hoodies are life, okay? Who needs a girlfriend when you can cuddle a hoodie?”

        “…or a boyfriend.” Jisung muttered while coughing, making Chan look at him with wide eyes, cheeks tinted red. Changbin had caught them speaking of someone at times, Chan always denying it, but he still had no idea who the person was, the name being completely unfamiliar to him.

        “Let’s talk about something else, ey? Changbin, we never got to ask you, but what university are you going to attend?” Chan inquired, clearing his neck in an attempt to clean the embarrassed air around him. Changbin couldn’t help but think that he was younger than his age showed at times.

        “KOA University.” Changbin answered, taking another sip of his lemon tea. He remarked that he no longer had cinnamon biscuits, despite there being some before Jisung and Chan entered. He just assumed Jisung consumed them when he was reading Chan’s lyrics. Noticing the weird silence, he looked up at Jisung and Chan, only to notice that they were both staring at Changbin, frozen.

        “We are going to go there as well!” Jisung exclaimed after staring for a little longer, his voice higher than before and his eyes almost lightened up. Now, not only would they have attended high-school together, but university as well. Speaking of high-school…

        “It’s not that I’m not glad but…shouldn’t you still be in high school?” Changbin questioned Jisung, making him pout and look at Chan for an explanation. Changbin thought that weird but he didn’t question it.

        “Well, do you remember Mrs. Criwes? She introduced us to a project called _‘Wanderers’_ in which several high school students were taken in this sort of beta project to see what the percentage of passing would be if they were placed in university, you know? Jisung kind of wanted to go with it, and there’s also Felix and Jeongin and Hyunjin who are going to go to the same university, them and Jisung in their first year, while I’ll be going in my third year. You know, we never thought we would all get in the same university since we were all separated to different high-schools.” Chan enlightened Changbin, surprising him a little bit. He had no idea who Hyunjin and Jeongin were, since he never met them, but he had heard of them. And to hear that Felix would be going to the same university as him and in the same year intrigued him, to say the least. Changbin nodded at Chan, wondering why he never heard of said project. When Changbin’s phone buzzed with a notification from his aunt saying that she won’t be coming to Seoul for a month or so, even more than she had initially said, Chan took the chance to mouth to Jisung an _explain to you later_ before Changbin threw the phone on the table and looked up at them again.

        “By the way, Felix’s hair didn’t really burn, right?” Changbin asked with a small smile, making Chan laugh and shook his head.

        “Nah, that kid is so clumsy he could make a whole house turn upside down.” Jisung choked when Chan said that, throwing him into a fit of coughing. Chan restrained a pained grimace, and Changbin couldn’t help but wonder what had happened. It wasn’t as if he knew just how real what Chan had said was. It wasn’t as if he had been there to witness just how much damage Felix could do to one simple house.

        After almost an hour and a half in which all three of them ordered sage tea and a few chocolate roll, Jisung suddenly placed his pen down and leaned towards Changbin, placing a hand against his forehead, noticing the unusually high temperature.

        “Binnie, you’re burning.” Chan turned towards Changbin worriedly, checking his temperature as well, but Changbin simply nudged his hand away gently.

        “I’m fine. It’s probably the heat.” Chan didn’t look really convinced by his statement, and neither did Jisung. He simply continued to sip his second tea that day, before looking back down at his notebook. They had been writing lyrics and speaking about the most uncommon things possible, sometimes even circling around Chan and his not so hidden crush on a teacher, though Changbin didn’t know of said teacher, Jisung and his chemistry class, that he doesn’t know if he’s gonna pass despite loving it, and Changbin’s run over by Felix. Chan and Jisung surely weren’t going to live that one down any time soon.

        A buzzing noise took Changbin out of the heated discussion about what was better, fusilli or elbow macaroni. Changbin looked through his messenger bag, before he realized that his phone was in his hoodie.

        **_From Minho_**

_Hey :)) Seungmin and I found a part-time job! Wanna meet up? Come to L7L café if you’re free ;)_

        Placing his phone back in his hoody, he extended his arm to grab his messenger bag, getting up and pushing his chair back.

        “Guys, I gotta go meet up with my roommates. Apparently, they managed to find a part time job as well.”

        While Chan’s phone buzzed, Jisung looked up at Changbin. “As well? Where did you get hired?”

        “L7L café.” Jisung couldn’t help but giggle manically in his mind. He couldn’t wait to send Felix again, alone, to buy coffee from L7L café. Nodding, he turned his attention to Chan who was reading through a text quite seriously.

        “Well, see ya tomorrow then.” Chan said, looking up at Changbin with a smile as well, waving at him. When he turned around to walk away, he heard Chan whisper something to Jisung before an inhuman hissing noise resonated through the tea house, making Changbin want to turn around but he was too close to the door already. It surely was Jisung, doing weird sounds as usual. But what could’ve been written in that message that it agitated him that much?

****

        After Chan and Jisung had left, saying that they were going to meet up with Changbin, Felix took to lazing around in his room, but it soon turned into him acting like a snail on the floor and then on the bed and if he could he would’ve started crawling on the ceiling. Hmm, maybe he could…?

        Deciding to give it a try, he focused on the source of magic that laid inside of him, given at birth to every fairy when bathed in the sacred waters at the base of the silver green humongous tree with large branches that hugged the meadow protectively, emerald and indigo decorations as old as the world itself growing and weaving all the time around the ever growing branches. Their world was sacred in so many ways and much freer than the human one, and that was one aspect that Felix loved and missed of his home. The Fae Folk always took care of its members and their number one responsibility wasn’t hiding the fae world from the humans, but defending both their world and the human world from the never ending attacking demons. The Fae Folk itself was divided into two types, one type having a much too complicated name that was usually got replaced with Nursing Fairy, because they loved to take care of others and of the nature surrounding them, while the other type were the Warrior Fairies that trained to fight and defend themselves, their clans and their world from the demons and dark fairies of the Dark Realm. Felix himself was a Warrior Fairy, along with Jisung, Chan and Hyunjin, while Jeongin was the only Nursing Fairy in their family. Both Felix’s mother and father were Warrior Fairies, along with his older sister, Rachel, while his younger sister, Olivia, was preparing to become a Nursing Fairy. He still remembered how his father had fought for him and his family to not be exiled, how his little sister cried, asking why Felix had to go away, why Chan had to go away, but Felix could do nothing more but stare at his shoes in shame and cry silently, trying to smile at his sister and tell her that everything will be okay and that he’ll come back, only for that to never happen after the portal through which they came got destroyed by a Dark Realm portal appearing in its stead.

        “Well…levitation was never my greatest point either so…” Muttering to himself, Felix started to crawl towards the nearest wall, no minding the way his sharper nails pierced the soft carpet underneath him or how they left claw marks on the wall as he tried to keep himself attached to the wooden surface.  He kept on going, noticing the room turn  upside down. When he was finally on the ceiling, he couldn’t help but grin widely, sharp fangs poking his bottom lip, before he started to laugh loudly. He had actually done it! He had climbed a wall using air magic to push himself against the surface and maintain himself up! It probably wouldn’t work quite well for him to scale a huge building with his lack of focus, but he was sure that it would work in small, closed off rooms such as his own. He could feel the air pressing against his body, his skin felt weird and his head pulsated when he looked around the room upside down. He was lost in his own world when the door to his room opened, light going inside and blinding him a little, making him unable to see the person.

        When said person screamed a very familiar scream, Felix’s eyes opened wide and his concentration faltered, making him instantly drop to the ground. Woojin immediately walked in towards him, a worried frown on his face.

        “Oh my God, I’m so sorry Felix! I had no idea you would be…uhmm…crawling like you were possessed up on the ceiling.” Woojin exclaimed, worry and curiosity and sarcasm all in one voice, making Felix laugh. Now that he thought of how he looked to Woojin, his room clad in darkness, the only visible thing being his eyes, orange circles from up on the ceiling…yeah, he probably would’ve screamed bloody murder and ran away. Helping him up, Woojin took in his surroundings, still dark. He used his vision to see, since he had never been into Felix’s room before, despite the numerous amounts of visits that he paid to the fairy family. He himself was not a fairy, per see, but half fairy and half nixie. Chan had always said that he was as much a fairy as all of them and that he should never doubt himself, because nixies were amazing as well.

        “How comes you’re here? Chan isn’t home.” Woojin looked offended at that, jabbing Felix lightly in the chest.

        “I come to see you as well, not only Chan! What are you insinuating?” At Felix’s suggestive wiggling eyebrows, Woojin simply rolled his eyes and turned around to leave the room, smile tugging at his lips. No matter how old Felix was, he still had the heart of a child at times. It wasn’t even five seconds later when Felix jumped on the others back, giggling in his ear, his arms knitted tightly around Woojin’s neck. Woojin fought to take him off jokingly, reaching the base of the stairs with Felix still piggybacking him.

        “Woojinnie, did anyone else register for your Mythology course?” Felix inquired, dropping down as graceful as a cat next to Woojin when they reached the living room where Hyunjin was lazing around, watching a cooking show on TV.

        “A first year, Seo Changbin.” Felix looked at Woojin with wide eyes, before he shook his head, smiling and nodding. “It appears you’ve run into him even before Uni even started.” At that, Felix’s cheeks started to burn, burning even brighter when he heard Hyunjin laugh behind him.

        “Where’s Jeongin?” He asked Hyunjin after Woojin deemed it was enough teasing for the moment and went to get chips from the kitchen. Hyunjin shrugged his shoulders, pushing Felix away from in front of the TV and settling even better on the soft couch, his eyes closing partially. He was softly grasping the remote, his nails clicking on the plastic at times when he was bored or even following the music on TV. Their living room was even more spacious than their kitchen, paintings of the Old War littered on every wall, illustrating different scenes. The walls were painted a dark color of red, bioluminescent plants hung on the ceiling in the back or placed in the corners or on the cupboards that were made of hard wood, a colorful carpet made out of grey, maroon and red swirling patterns covering the floor, the big windows almost always opened a little bit so that the pixies could enter.

        Felix thanked Hyunjin for not helping him even a little and then went outside to check, having decided that if he was Jeongin and had free time, he would spend it outside.

        Felix was right. He found the nursing fairy lounging in the plush grass, his ears fluttering whenever the softest of sounds was made, smiling in the sun, eyes closed and pixies playing around him, one even braiding the soft black strands of hair that were longer at the front. He was dressed casually, grey pants and a white shirt, feet bare, connecting through them with the earth underneath. When he heard Felix approaching, his eyes opened half-way, revealing green radiant irises, thick eyelashes surrounding them, pink lips parting in a surprised sound.

        “Felix-ah, come sit with me.” Jeongin said, smiling even more. He patted the ground beside him, one of the pixies giggling and smiling at Felix, urging him to do so. He was sometimes jealous that only Jeongin could understand the pixies, because he was sure that they always laughed at his little mishaps. When he sat down and laid himself on the ground, he felt his back touch the cold earth, and suddenly he could only see the circle of trees whose branches almost looked as if they were circling the sun, green leaves sparkling under the powerful, hot rays, though Felix only felt half the heat since the ward worked into keeping the sun away as well. In the Fairy Realm, the temperature was hotter, but the sun was cooler, more beautiful. They wore less restricting clothes, clothes that melted to their bodies. They could fly back on their homeland…

        “You miss it as well, don’t you?” Jeongin’s whisper drifted along the wind, making Felix close his eyes and sigh softly. He felt a pixie grab at the tip of his ear gently, tugging a little and speaking softly in its high pitched voice, but Felix couldn’t understand. Jeongin did, though, and immediately sat up to look towards the entrance, towards the leading path. Felix followed, and soon enough, Jisung and Chan entered through and walked on the path. When they got closer, Felix realized that they were fully shifted. Jisung’s eyes were lit up a vibrant flame, the light colored shirt bringing his eyes out even more. His ears were elongated and sharp, inclined upwards as if he was still paying attention to the lightest of sounds. His claws were elongated as well, sharp and deadly and dirty with black blood. Felix had seen Jisung in a battle before and he knew just how fierce the other was. The only others person that was fiercer in a battle was Chan, one of the strongest warrior fairies that the Fairy Realm ever had. His eyes were black, the only thing colorful being the ring of amber that shone with malice that was not directed at them. His white shirt was stained with dark patches, his canines poking his full lower lip. He looked like the warrior fairy that Felix knew, though he still missed the armor and the wings, the beautiful wings that could easily harden and pierce everything. They had certain qualities as warriors, qualities that no nursing fairy had. The blood on their clothes made Felix get up faster than he could remember, closing in on the two with a short cry of “What happened?! Is that blood?!”

        Chan and Jisung winced when they heard the worried voice of Felix, and when they saw just how worried he was, Chan couldn’t help but go towards the younger, placing a hand on his forearm to stop his advance.

        “We’re fine, we weren’t injured. When we were at Livander’s Tea, I received a message from Jeongin, saying that he had sensed two demons lurking close to our home, so we decided to attack it before it managed to get here.” Felix didn’t look quite convinced on the ‘we weren’t injured’ part, but he had no choice but to go with it and listen to Chan. When he looked at Jeongin, he realized just how powerful he got if he managed to sense a demon outside of the ward and far away from the house. Only nursing fairies could sense the demons from afar, so it would’ve been quite useful to have them on the battlefield, but it would also be dangerous, so nursing fairies were never allowed in battle lest they were killed.

        “Hey, we’re really fine, okay? Maybe just a scratch here and there, but we’re fine.” Jisung said, placing his hand on Felix’s cheek in an attempt to assure him, but just then, he saw red on Chan’s forearm. Demon blood was black.

        “Chan, you’re injured!” Felix exclaimed, moving to grab Chan by the hand, when the other suddenly takes a step back and hisses, actually hisses, at Felix, jerking his hand away. Even Jisung looks shocked at Chan, who now looks with wide and regretful eyes at Felix, who is regarding Chan sadly. He accepts when Chan extends his hand on his own and grabs Felix’s, a small, apologetic smile tugging on his lips. Felix knew why he reacted like that, and he was the only one to know. Before, on their realm, both him and Chan were very active Fairy Warriors, until one day when Chan was injured and a comrade of his tried to tend to him on the battleground, only for a demon to snatch him away. Ever since, whenever Chan was injured, he recoiled from help, blaming himself for what happened to his battle mate.

        Holding his hand tightly yet gently, Felix drags Chan towards their garage room as Jisung goes to the youngest to jump on him and drag him back into the grass to play with the pixies, while the other exclaims that he should change and wash up first.

        The garage room was only called ‘garage’ because it withheld several trinkets and boxes and stuff that they did not necessarily use at the time, and because they already had a storage room way more into the back, and a basement that they rarely used because Jeongin was worried there was a spirit there and none of them knew how to exorcise a spirit, so they kind of stayed away from there. It was a rather large room, with rows upon rows of plants, all babies of Jeongin of which he cared for. The boxes were nicely placed one on top of the other at the back, brooms leaning against them and a trash bin keeping them straight. Next to them was a door that led to the basement and to the left of the boxes was another one that led into the house. There was to the right a long wooden table with a wooden bench just as long, towards which Felix led Chan. He made him sit down while he went to rummage through the cupboards that were nailed high on the wall, until he found a kit with medical supplies. Usually, fairies would recover quite fast from an injury, abnormally fast, but from a demon wound, it would take several hours until the wound was completely closed, so they needed to tend to the wounds until then.

        Sitting back down and grabbing Chan’s hand, he took out an ointment made by Jeongin specifically for wounds and a wet cloth, cleaning the wide cut before applying the ointment and rolling the bandage around his arm, until he was satisfied with the work. Meanwhile, Chan couldn’t help but stare at his youngling, at how beautifully he worked to heal him. He was of the most working and energetic fairies back in the Fairy Realm, and Chan couldn’t help but blame himself at times for not being more cautious about their trips to Earth. If only he had been more careful-

        “Stop that.” Felix muttered, not even looking up from his work as he tied the bandage so it wouldn’t unravel. Chan frowned at him, mouth opening to inquire exactly what to stop, when Felix looked up, fierce eyes burning with flames. Chan sometimes thought just how cute the other was whenever he got angry, despite him not realizing it. “Stop blaming yourself for us getting exiled here.” When he spoke, his accent showed more prominent due to his angriness. It was hardest for Felix to learn the language of Earth, since the language of fairies was so much brighter and livelier in speech. Humans used sarcasm as well, something that they hardly got accustomed to.

        “I will, sorry for upsetting you.” Chan apologized, looking down. His eyes were still changed the black sclera contrasting with the melted amber. His sharp ears were pulled back, as if to show just how sorry he was, fangs still elongated. They understood from human folklore that fairies didn’t have sharp fangs, but short, pointy ones, and that was something Felix never understood. What use would pointy small teeth do in a battle with a demon compared to their sharp canines? Sometimes, humans distorted the truth so much and changed everything to their liking that they made things unreal. And other times, they went so far with the distorting that they got something else in return, that maybe yes, it existed, but it wasn’t as if they knew for sure.

        “You’re staring.” Chan noticed when he looked up. Felix had ceased all movement, the kit abandoned on the wooden table. Upon hearing Chan, Felix blushed, but he didn’t avert his eyes, only leaned forward.

        “So what?” Chan leaned forward as well. He was surprised the younger didn’t shy away, when he usually did.

        “So nothing.” And then he brushed his nose against Felix’s in and Eskimo kiss. They both started laughing loudly, and when they entered the house, they both wore wide grins. When Chan noticed Woojin on the sofa with Hyunjin’s head in his lap, he felt his cheeks burn a little from seeing the Mythology course teacher in his house. He’d seen him several times, yes, but he still felt as if it was the first time when he saw his angelic features. Woojin was always embarrassed of his bloodline, saying that he could never reach the beauty of a fairy, but exactly that nixie bloodline supported Chan’s idea even more: Woojin was beautiful through and through.

        Not wanting to disturb the two, he went around the sofa, tiptoeing, though it wasn’t as if he wasn’t heard. He and Felix were especially loud when they were together. Turning his back to the sofa, he tried to reach the door next to the windows that was just another exit, so that maybe he could go to the forest and check whether there was another demon? Yeah, that worked quite well with him if that meant he wouldn’t be teased by his family whenever he was shy around Woojin. Luck wasn’t on his side, because no matter how much Woojin tried to ignore the footsteps and not turn around while almost laughing, he couldn’t help but turn around when Chan stumbled on an upturned corner of the carpet that was most probably the works of the pixies.

        “Ahm…ladies and gents, you have not seen this.” Chan muttered after coughing as if to sooth his embarrassment, though he knew he was done for when Hyunjin started to chuckle from Woojin’s lap.

        “I guess you could say you have fallen for Woojin.” Hyunjin exclaimed with the most proud voices Chan had ever heard, making him cringe and blush while Woojin averted his eyes, pink dusting his cheeks as well.

        “That was really cheesy, Hyunjin.” To his surprise, Woojin was the one who said that, and finally, Chan wasn’t feeling as embarrassed as he was before. Maybe this time it would be better. Deciding on that, he got up from his shameful place on the ground – he always stumbled, just like Felix – and then went to sit on the couch, pushing Hyunjin’s legs away so that he could sit.

        “Kids! Gather up!” Chan shouted, and he knew that everyone heard. Not only did fairies have heightened senses, but they were also very keen on hearing their family so they could be countries apart and they would still find each other.

        Soon enough, Felix came in the living room most probably from the kitchen, while Jisung and Jeongin came from outside, both looking very dirty. They looked as if they had been playing in mud for the last few hours, and not minutes. Jisung hair was particularly full of twigs and daisies and he assumed that that was Jeongin’s wonderful work. He loved to place flowers in everyone’s hair. Back in their homeland, their natural form involved flowers being caught in their hair, clothes that clung to their bodies and helped them fight and fly, the material not too tight or too loose, not too thin or thick, but strong. Strong enough that no demon claw or teeth could pierce it. That was why demons never even tried to injure fairies on the battlefield. No. They always tried to capture the fairies so that in the dark realm, when a fairy is most weakened, they could strip them of their tough clothing and then kill them, suck their life out of them, or turn them into dark fairies if the fairy so whished.

        “Okay, now that you’re all gathered up. Firstly, I wanted to just tell you that there were too demon messengers just a few meters away from our ward, nothing that we couldn’t handle. And secondly, today when Changbin asked how Jisung got to go to university at the same time as him, we decided to say that we were involved in a program that was in its beta form and that involved several high school students be taken from their third or second high school year and placed into university. Okay? I just thought that this way we could avoid having to enchant every human with an affinity for magic. Woojin was the one that told me of this project.” When mentioned, Woojin smiled brightly, nodding. Chan was really thankful for how many time the other had helped them. First with getting accustomed to the human world and getting a house, and then with the language and customs, and then with the university. Really, Chan couldn’t thank Woojin enough for helping them.

        “So…that means we will have it easier this way, right?” Jeongin asked, making Jisung grin and ruffle his hair, exclaiming how Jeongin was finally interested in something other than plants or flowers, making the other blush a scarlet red color.

        “Yeah, it will. Though, I’m still wondering of something. Since we are not all in the same field of study, how are we going to meet?” Felix answered Jeongin’s question and then asked one of his own. It was true, with him, Jisung and Chan going to Herbalism, and Hyunjin and Jeongin to Geology and History, they didn’t really have common classes in which they could meet up.

        “Ahh, I guess I forgot to tell you, eh?” Five heads turned to regard Chan. They knew that whenever he started his sentences like that it was either bad…or very bad. Felix was sharing a look with Jisung that scared Jeongin. He was the last to join their family, meaning that he still didn't get some of the hidden glances that spoke stories of the past. After all, they weren’t exactly peaceful kids since they were named the most troublesome family of all in the Fairy Realm. “It’s not something really that bad, don’t worry. It’s just that…we’ll be staying over in the university dorms during the school days, since our house is quite far and I want you to converse.” Silence. And then…

        “WHAT?!”


	6. Bounce Park & Pixie Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changbin, Seungmin and Minho go to a bounce park~ Felix gets high on pixie dust candies:)))

        Inside the L7L café, Minho and Seungmin were just finishing up with the registration papers and the manuals, when the door opened, revealing a heavy breathing Changbin, as if he had ran all the way there. Minho had been throwing looks at Seungmin before Changbin had showed up, as if he had wanted to say something, but whenever he tried to gather Seungmin’s attention, he back-tracked and told the other that it was nothing, and it probably really was nothing, since Minho was known to always worry over the slightest of things.

        “Hey guys!” Changbin exclaimed, waving at them. He seemed to be in a good mood, his smile wide, eyes burning with life. His messenger bag was slowly sliding down his shoulder, but he didn’t seem to notice. As soon as he approached the other two new workers, now his co-workers, he couldn’t help but remark that “Fate seems to work quite nicely these days. I mean, who would’ve thought that we would be roommates, only to later discover that we would be working in the same place as well?!” Minho couldn’t help but agree with the younger.

        “I suggest we go somewhere to have fun and also get to know the other since we will be spending almost six years together in that dorm room, eh?” Seungmin wondered out loud, making both Minho and Changbin look at him and nod enthusiastically. Seungmin always had good ideas whenever fun came into discussion.

        “And where do you think of going?” Minho asked, though after he saw a certain glint in his eyes, he started to doubt that it would be quite the good idea.

        “A bounce park!” Minho screamed internally, thinking about the last time when he went with Seungmin to a bounce park, only for him to be hit by at least a dozen balls in the fighting area. Seeing Seungmin’s excited aura, he couldn’t help but put aside his internal fear of being hit again, immediately agreeing with the other. They turned to look at Changbin, who was watching closely the conversation, albeit he seemed a little out of it.

        “You okay Changbin?” Minho asked, frowning a little. Changbin looked up at the two of them, eyes big as if he was pleading innocent for a thing he had done.

        “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m more than fine! So, where are we going? ‘cuss I’ve never been  to Seoul before and so I don’t know my way around.” Changbin turned a bit shy at the end of that last statement, making Minho coo at him a little before slinging his arm around the other’s shoulders.

        “Well then, we’ll make sure you’ll know Seoul like the back of your hand!”

        It took them about twenty minutes to figure out which bus they had to take to reach the closest bounce park, and ten more to actually get their asses into the bus station and buy tickets. As soon as their bus turned around the corner, they were up and walking towards it, a slight bounce to their pace as they couldn’t wait to have fun like they used to when they were kids –although Changbin had never visited a bounce park before– and get to build a stronger bond between them.

        “It’ll be cheaper if you would take three tickets with the family package. I mean, that is only if you want to, I’m just doing my duty of informing you.” Seungmin was still blushing a deep red, complaining silently behind Minho that he didn’t look like a fucking middle-school student and that Minho wasn’t his older brother and Changbin wasn’t his cousin, making Minho shush him all the time as he bought the cheaper tickets, making Changbin snicker at the visual image. Minho was trying to hold in a laugh as well. It wasn’t as if they went to the cashier lady and told her that they were a family and that Seungmin was Minho’s younger brother, oh no, she just assumed that it was true, so they just rolled with it.

        As soon as Seungmin saw the trampolines, he was gone from Minho’s and Changbin’s side, his embarrassing encounter from earlier with the lady long forgotten. He looked as if he was soaring through the sky, his body jumping with such precision that it made Changbin wonder just how often the younger came to a park like this.

        “Come on, I know where we’ll have fun.” Minho muttered, grabbing Changbin gently around the wrist and dragging him towards what looked like a pit with cubes. It was Minho’s favorite place, because he loved the feeling of emptiness beneath his back without actually falling anywhere. He liked to scare other people by swimming through the cubes and grabbing their ankles or tickling them, making the younger kids think that there was a tickle monster hiding underneath the cubes. He especially liked doing that to Seungmin because he always started screaming whenever he felt his ankle get grabbed, only for him to realize that it was Minho and then challenge him to a cube battle, the battle only ending with them gathering the cubes back into the pit under the disappointed stare of the bounce park cleaning crew.

        Minho was the first one to drop into the pit, running up the wall and then jumping with a back flip, sinking through the grey foam cubes. Changbin just stared after him, before he decided to just go up the stairs towards the trampoline and then jump from it into the pit. They lazed on the cubes for some time, Changbin telling Minho how he only had one living relative, how he had moved to Seoul just to follow his dreams, all alone, how he was still quite scared of the big city, though he was slowly conquering that fear, how he was in a rap group called 3RACHA, along with two others, how he loved the color dark but also the colorful flowers and various plants that had so many effects, known and unknown by the human race, making Minho open up and start to speak about his past as well, about how he got to Seoul with Seungmin by his side, both of them against the world as they tried to go through the struggles of life, getting into university, getting to room together and now work together, how they were inseparable as they grew up, how Seungmin always made sure that Minho never overworked himself, and maybe it was sometimes the other way around as well, when the younger stayed up nights on end just to study up ahead so that he could go to university at the same time as Minho so he wouldn’t miss out. Changbin was more than happy and content to listen to him, and he probably would’ve for longer, if not for Seungmin who suddenly revealed himself from behind an inflated red pillar and then jumped over the two, making them groan under the added weight.

        In the end they all started to laugh, when Seungmin started to wonder whether he had killed them under his body since they were so silent. They hit the trampolines together afterwards, and if Changbin fell too often, dragging Minho and Seungmin with him, no one said a thing as they were having too much fun, spilling secrets and old high school stories.

***

        After their legs could no longer stay attached to their bodies from jumping for so long and running around, the three boys decided to leave the bounce park and head to an ice cream parlor. Changbin was taking everything in since he had never gone around Seoul, the other day when he moved in the dorm being the first time when he stepped foot in the beautiful lively city.

        He knew that the streets were safe during the day and maybe not as equally safe at night, but he was sure that with his self-defense knowledge he could take care of himself. The convenience store that was just a few blocks away from the university made it easy for him to just go there and get some food whenever he was stuck with words that he needed to write down on paper and sleep just couldn’t get him. The entertainment companies were visible all the way from the university, their logos shining brightly against the night sky that was sometimes unclear due to the pollution. Changbin never agreed with humans that said they preferred the comfort of a life that polluted the nature.

        He stumbled again at one point as they were walking back towards the bus station, but this time there was someone that placed their hand on his shoulder in order to steady him. Minho was peering down at him, eyes questioning.

        “I’m fine.”

        “You’re not fine. This happened, like, three times before at the bounce park. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

        “It’s just that I get dizzy sometimes after jumping for too long.” Minho kept staring at Changbin for a few more seconds before he huffed, as if giving up. He started to walk ahead a little, Seungmin taking his place beside Changbin.

        “He gets like that sometimes, don’t worry. He just wants everyone to be okay, y’know.” Changbin knew. He had seen the way the older was holding himself, how he always had an eye out for Seungmin whenever the other left their side to jump around the bounce park or partake in events that were organized spontaneously. How he immediately turned to look at Changbin whenever he swayed a little, before turning away when he thought Changbin was looking, not knowing that he had already been observed.

        As soon as Minho turned the key in and opened the door, Changbin almost ran to his room, telling the others that he was more than exhausted. Minho and Seungmin shared a worried look, wordlessly closing the front door and taking the grocery bags that they had stopped to get on their way back. Inside the kitchen, Minho was quickly going through the vegetables and cleaning them under the fresh stream of water, before separating a few for two portions and placing them on the table, Seungmin offering to cut them and place them in the pot by his elbow. He was almost done by the time Minho finished packing the vegetables separately and stocking them in their fridge.

        “You don’t think he-“

        “Better we don’t speak, Minnie.”

        “But-“ A sharp look from Minho made Seungmin nod and turn his attention back to the boiling vegetables on the stove. Minho sighed, already regretting having shouted at the younger, but Seungmin’s kind heart and worry got them into trouble before, and it was Minho’s duty to protect Seungmin until he no longer could.

        They settled at the kitchen table, two bowls of soup in front of them. Minho had gone to check whether Changbin wanted to eat, but there was no answer from behind the door so he gave up. They watched as the hot sun from outside paled in intensity and fell among the stars as the moon reigned over the blackness.

***

        Whispers were floating around the room. It felt so weird. There was darkness and he couldn’t see anything. He felt heavy, hot and scared. There was a name that stayed on his lips for as long as he could stay awake, and he couldn’t even hear it. He held it dear to his heart for unknown reasons. There was a dip in the bed beside him. He couldn’t open his eyes to see, but he remembered soft hands brushing his hair gently, voice murmuring softly, warmth filling his soul until there was nothing more pressing against his chest, until he fell into a peaceful slumber until the morning.    

***

        He was sleeping peacefully, until he felt it: the dark presence that was waiting just around the corners. Minho jumped awake and almost ran out of his room and towards Changbin’s. Seungmin was sleeping like a log in the room beside his own. He forced the door opened and peered inside, taking in his surroundings at lightning speed.

        The bed sheets were on the ground, Changbin thrashing in his bed and whining painfully, as if something was hurting him from the inside. Minho approached him carefully, not really understanding what was happening. When he got close enough to the other boy, he placed his hand over his forehead. Almost as soon as he touched him, not only did he feel the heat underneath his skin, he also felt the powerful energy. As Changbin opened his eyes, Minho saw that his sclera was fully black, the blue in his iris blending in five corners with it, forming a contrasting blue star against black.

        Out of instinct, Minho stepped back in a crouching position, his hand reaching behind him, a staff made out of wood with green vines whirling around it appearing in his hand. His eyes were wide and the color of the azure sea, blue and green bleeding together, hair ornaments made out of pure metal clinging gently to his soft brown locks. He placed his staff against Changbin’s chest, a frown appearing on his face when he realized that he just couldn’t attack the younger. He realized why, when he saw the hot tears spilling down Changbin’s face from the corners of his eyes. Changbin couldn’t see Minho at all, despite the fact that his eyes were wide opened. He was grasping at the bed underneath him, gasping for breath, lips calling for a name that had a sharp x sound to it, unfamiliar to Minho, muscles coiling underneath his skin. Lowering his staff and straightening up, he looked around the room again, trying to tune out Changbin’s energy in order to sense whether there was something else with them. He noticed a pixie with indigo eyes and green clothes fiddle by Changbin’s side, pulling at its ears as if in pain, eyes jumping from side to side. She was screeching loudly now, looking at Minho with pleading eyes. _Save him_.

        The window suddenly opened, a mass of black crawling towards it in an attempt to escape, when Minho growled, baring his sharp teeth and pointing his staff towards the demon.

        “You won’t get to spread the news, bastard!” Minho shouted, circling his body with his staff, creating a blue vortex of pure energy, the demon writhing in pain as the light burned through him. Minho plunged the staff into the ground, the light firing towards the demon and engulfing him in, his dirty remains turning into dust that flew out the window. Minho was holding for dear life onto his staff, his heart almost beating out of his chest. He was left feeling tired, as if all of his life had seeped through his bones. It had been so long since he’d last done that. He was desperate to protect Changbin and himself that he used a much too powerful spell on the demon.

        Twirling the staff in the air, Minho watched as it disappeared against his back, before he ran to Changbin’s side, realizing that he was no longer thrashing in his bed. His fever was still very high, and his eyes were still shifted, making Minho wonder exactly what Changbin was, since he had never seen eyes like his, only similar. And he felt no negative energy around him, which made it even weirder for him.

        Minho sat down on the edge of the bed, placing his hand gently over the other’s forehead, murmuring softly underneath his breath ancient prayers. The fever broke in almost an hour, Changbin snoring softly against his pillow, body curled in on his own. Minho, more exhausted than he thought could be, got up and grabbed the bed sheets from the ground, laying them over Changbin’s now slightly shivering body. His eyes had gone back to normal the moment the fever broke, his usual dark brown replacing the vibrant blue color. The pixie was also asleep by now, embracing Changbin’s pinky, her white hair brushing against it. She was glowing, as if she was trying to heal him with her dust. Pixies like that were pretty rare.

From his doorstep, Minho couldn’t help but think that Changbin was as much a victim as he was. A single dark pink petal landed on Minho’s nose. _Thank you_.

***

 

        “AHH!” Breathing heavily, Felix threw himself out of the bed, his back hitting the wall rather roughly. He was looking around his room, eyes wide, and his first thought was _Changbin._ Something had happened to the older. He knew that and he was just so scared in that moment, no longer thinking clearly. He couldn’t breathe, his chest felt heavy and his eyes were blurry with tears, cheeks wet from tears that had already fallen in his sleep. He had heard Changbin call for him, somehow. The feeling was gone as soon as Felix tried to stay up, as if whatever had happened to Changbin had passed, allowing the other to breathe. Felix was still worried for him, but an insistent tugging at his left ear disrupted his thoughts. From the corner of his eye, he saw Shiaj frowning at him. He looked quite agitated, and when he saw Shiaj indicated towards the bed at his raised eyebrows, he understood why: the bed sheets were almost black from how much they burned underneath him, smoke still rising up from them. The ceiling above was also quite darker than his normal color, and the smell of burnt floated around the room.

       He stayed there until he could feel his heartbeat go down, until he could breathe again, before going out the door and towards the kitchen. The house was dark, and almost scary, but Felix felt comforted by the darkness, by the few bioluminescent flowers that almost lit up a path for him, the Christmas lights nailed along the staircase casting shadows over the railing. The front door was securely closed, the glowing green shield around the handle signature of Jeongin’s warding spell. He walked slowly towards it, praying that the alarm wouldn’t go off as soon as he placed his hand over the handle. When he was only a few millimeters away, someone snapped his hand away. It was Shiaj, who shook his head and then flew towards the handle, leaning down and placing his hands gently against the green ward. He appeared to be whispering something for a few seconds, before the ward flickered into oblivion. Shiaj winked at Felix, a sly grin on his thin lips, making Felix push him away playfully. He gripped the handle and pulled the door open, striding outside and into the cool night. The air was warm, the sky lit up by the full moon.

        At the base of their territory ward, Felix saw something shimmer from the corner of his eye, making him groan and walk in that direction. When he reached the edge of the ward, he crouched down, only to come face to face with a hobgoblin that was munching slowly at the ward. There was a significant dent in the amber veil, making Felix wonder just for how long the little parasite went unnoticed. The hobgoblin had golden touched skin, was dressed in rags and quite fat, a carcass of strong bone on his back. Its fully black eyes were peering up at Felix innocently, not as if he had just been eating at their energy for the last few hours. Hobgoblins were quite useful back in the Fairy Realm, helping nursing fairies with plants or spells, but out here on Earth, where they became tinted, they were downright annoying, eating away at wards placed up by fairies and infesting entire generations of plants with energy leaks.

        Clicking his fingers, a flame sparkled to life between Felix’s fore finger and middle finger, flame that drew the attention of the hobgoblin almost immediately. With his face lit up only by the flame against the dark night, his freckles contrasting against his skin, Felix smiled mischievously at the creature, blowing the fire in his direction. Far of in the distance, the hobgoblin was soon jumping against trees, almost close to extinguishing the fire that was attached to the few strands of hair on his head. Felix chuckled to himself, watching as Shiaj was also holding his stomach, laughter shaking his whole body. Despite feeling frustrated at times that he couldn’t understand what the pixies were saying, he was glad that body language was universal.

        Deciding that he wouldn’t be going back to sleep anytime soon after the scare from earlier, Felix went to the back of the house where he knew a ladder was. He just needed to get up on the roof of the house. Grabbing the ladder with steady hands, he began ascending, taking careful steps so he wouldn’t fall and wake anyone else up. When he got to his usual place, which was in front of the round window that belonged to the attic, he sat down on the straight surface, digging his hand underneath a tile and bringing out a pack of chocolate flavored candies.

        He leaned on his back and started to eat the candies one by one, when Shiaj grabbed his wrist with his hands, stopping him. Annoyed a little, Felix stood up and looked at Shiaj, who was pointing towards the candies.

        “What?” Felix inquired, his eyes getting as wide as saucers when Shiaj flew over the candies and fluttered his wings powerfully, white dust covering all of the candies. “Hey! You shouldn’t have done that!” Shiaj just giggles and dances around the candies, squeaking happily. When he noticed the wary look that Felix was throwing the candies, he flew up in his face and scratched at his nose, urging him to eat with his eyes.

        Giving in, Felix extended his hand again, grabbing a candy between his long fingers and bringing it up to his mouth, slowly placing it on his tongue, Shiaj watching him intently as he did so. The flavor was…unique, nothing alike with what Felix had been eating before. He chewed the candy, the flavor exploding in his mouth, his senses going into overdrive. Now he understood why Chan had always warned them not to eat stuff from pixies: he could feel his skin burning with energy, his vision was sharper, his senses as well. He felt as if he would burst out with life. Shiaj was beaming at him, happily. Felix didn’t even know why he was so reluctant at first. It wasn’t as if Shiaj would’ve hurt him.

 

***

       

        Morning came, and Changbin was still deep in his slumber. Minho had checked for the last hour for when he would wake up, so he could make sure there were no memories of last night in his mind. He was worried. He even made sure that there were no more signs of his actions from last night in his room. Seungmin had woken up at around six in the morning, before he went back to sleep after going to the bathroom, asking Minho to wake him up at ten. Changbin also needed to wake up before nine am so he could get ready for his first day at the L7L café. Minho knew(it wasn’t as if he searched his messenger back to get his hands on the younger’s schedule so he knew when he should wake him up).

        Ever since last night, all the thoughts of danger that Minho had regarding Changbin had flown out the window, now replaced with thoughts on how he could better take care of the younger and make sure that he was protected. It wasn’t something easy that Changbin would be going through.

        Minho chose to spend the last half hour until he had to wake Changbin up in the office room, at his desk. He had an old, fragile book on alchemy opened right in front of him, but he just couldn’t focus on any word. Where they back at trying again? What type of demon was the one from last night? Minho had an idea that it was a spy and torture demon, but he couldn’t know for sure. Warrior fairies were the ones that were more than precise when identifying demon species.

        He gathered the book, not being capable of staying still in one place, and placed it back on the shelf, his heels clicking against the clear floor as he headed for the door. His path was cut by a thing that flew in front of his face, golden dust leaving a trail. He quickly stepped back, not wanting pixie dust to land on his face.

        “Good morning.” He said, being the civil person that he was. The pixie, whose name he didn’t know, nodded at him, watching him with careful eyes. She had deemed last night what Minho was, but she just couldn’t decide whether he was a danger for her master or not. He had defended Changbin from danger last night, yes, but Minho was a danger to Changbin as well.

        _Good morning. I’m Lila._ The pixie said, and Minho immediately bowed. The pixie smiled at him, acknowledging the fact that he held respect for them, despite his race. With her indigo eyes, she conveyed to Minho that she would be giving him just one chance to prove himself to her that he was not a threat to Changbin, leaving afterwards to Changbin’s room. Minho figured out that he would be waking up quite soon, so he headed to the kitchen to prepare coffee for the three of them, placing Seungmin’s coffee in the microwave and sticking a post-it note on the door for him to know.      

        Footsteps soon started approaching the kitchen, Minho looking up from where he was warming his fingers around the coffee cup at the table to the door. Changbin’s hair was a mess, looking more like a bird’s nest than anything else, and there were tired shadows beneath his eyes, but other than that, he looked alright.

        “Mornin’.” Changbin spoke softly in the quiet kitchen, taking the seat opposite to Minho who pushed another cup filled to the brim with caffeine. The other muttered his thanks and dove into the cup, glad for the much needed substance.

        “How are you feeling?” It was a tricky question that Minho asked, but to his relief, Changbin showed no signs of remembering last night. Maybe that was why Lila wasn’t in the slightest bits worried when she spoke to him.

        “Tired. I slept quite well, but I just feel so…drained in a way. How do you feel? You look like a sheet of paper.” Minho chuckled at that and nodded.

        “Yeah, you could say I was a bit busy last night with a project that was nagging at my brain.” Changbin didn’t question him further, both of them enjoying the quietude of the morning. Minho still remained at the table as Changbin got up and went to his room to get dressed for the day, saying that if he showed up for his first day at work in his pajamas, it wouldn’t make a good impression. Minho didn’t quite agree with him, believing that the blue pajamas with white whiskers all over were quite cute on the younger. He wasn’t about to say that out loud either.

        After he took a hot shower, Changbin looked around his room and pondered on what to get dressed with. He settled on a black hoodie with white jeans, a black snapback on his head. It wasn’t quite as hot as yesterday, so he felt no need to replace the hoodie with a t-shirt. Grabbing his messenger back, his phone and wallet, he went and closed his window first – though Changbin didn’t remember leaving it open last night – and then grabbed his keys from his desk, locking his door and then walking by the kitchen again. He said goodbye to Minho and a sleepy Seungmin that was barely holding his head straight, and then headed outside. He didn’t get too far before he stumbled straight into a set of boxes, successfully not knocking them down by rolling away and thumping into the ground heavily. Changbin groaned, feeling his back pop from all the movement. His body ached slightly, making it a bit hard for him to get up again. Someone was in his view, peering down at him worriedly, and through his half-closed eyes, he thought he saw sharp ears before they were gone and a very charming teenager leaned down to help him up.

        “I’m so sorry, we just moved in the apartment across from you and we are still bringing in boxes so we forgot about these and we told Jeongin not to leave them too out in the open and, I swear it wasn’t our intention to-“ Changbin raised a hand and placed it against the rambling boys lips, amusement rolling off of him in waves.

        “Kid, it’s okay. Things like this tend to happen, don’t worry. I’m Seo Changbin, resident of apartment 73. I guess we’ll be neighbors?” The younger nodded, now more relaxed seeing as Changbin didn’t get angry at him.

        “I’m Hwang Hyunjin, resident of apartment 77. Nice to meet you.” They shook hands, and Changbin’s brain couldn’t help but think back to the names, Hyunjin, Jeongin…He knew for a fact that room 77 was for five people…could it be…

        “Hey, are your roommates Chan, Jisung, Jeongin and Felix?” The way the younger’s eyes widened was confirmation enough for Changbin. Instead of waiting for an answer, he smiled and added: “Tell Chan that I’ll see him later, I’m gonna be late for work if I stay on spot for longer. It was cool meeting you. I think we’ll see each other more often.” Hyunjin opened his mouth to speak, before he closed it and nodded with a smile, watching Changbin head for the stairs with a brisk pace. When he felt a hand on his back, he jumped and then turned around. Jisung was watching his with a raised eyebrow.

        “Did something happen?”

        “Yeah, well, Seo Changbin just stumbled over our boxes, nothing more.” Jisung’s eyes widened.

        “Seo Changbin? Our Changbin?” Hyunjin nodded. He could see the gears working in Jisung’s mind, the plans that the other made, and the mischief. Hyunjin never liked that look. “I assume he is staying in the apartment across from our, right?” Again, Hyunjin nodded, making Jisung jump and head towards their apartment door, throwing it open and running inside after his other crazy flame partner, Felix.

        Felix was sitting in his new room, looking around. He didn’t feel like at home, there were no plants there, he could only have one pixie around in fear of demons feeling too attracted to the apartment, the walls were bare and so was the room except for a bed, a desk and a wardrobe. He had chosen to take Shiaj with him, because he thought that the other’s mischief would help keep him sane in there. His eyes scanned over the bottles of paint that they had been given, the brushes and other utensils for painting. He was itching to start making the place look more like him, but at the same time, he felt tired. He couldn’t wait for Chan to get back with Jeongin so that they could place a few wards up. He didn’t feel safe. He didn’t even dare to go around the apartment, but rather chose to lock himself in his room. He still didn’t get along with the idea of spending so much time in the apartment. Of course he trusted Chan, but he didn’t trust himself around humans.

        “Felix! I have awesome news!!” Jisung shouted as he threw open Felix’s door, making the other jump and Shiaj to fly behind him. Shiaj peeked from behind a stray lock of hair, watching Jisung carefully.

        “What….news?”

        “I found out who is living in apartment 73, the one across from ours.”

        “Who?”

        “The love of your life, who else?” Felix frowned at that. The love of his life…no way…Jisung was just joking, he didn’t have a love life. Wait…

        “Jisung, who are you talking about?”

        “Seo Changbin! He’s staying in the apartment across from ours.” Felix felt his heart soar with glee and his stomach drop with anxiety at the same time. No way…

        He really was not ready for his first university year in the human realm…


	7. Lost Pages #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting used to another world is not so easy and it does not come without its dangers. Felix would know that better than anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy guyssss, surprisee :))) had more time sooo...special update. I'm currently working on the next chapter as well ;) There will be more Lost Pages throughout the story, through which i will describe past events from their time during the beginning of the exile, certain events or stuff that gets overlooked due to time skips ;)))) Hope you enjoy this along with the story and that it adds a little more background to certain aspects. In this Lost Page, I tackled the origins of Felix's shyness, hate and uncomfortable approach regarding humans.

**_LOST PAGES #1_ **

**_Ten years into the exile. A hundred years prior to the main timeline._ **

        Earth was a quite scary place, to say the least…or so Felix thought. Everywhere he went, people stared weirdly at him, making him fear that his glamour wasn’t working, that they were seeing his eyes and his ears and his fingers sparkle, and then he grew agitated and his breathing increased, his heartbeat rose, and then he felt a hand grab him, making him jump and turn around, scared, his heart beating so hard that it felt as if it was caged. Jisung was watching him with worried eyes, a frown on his lips.

        “Lix, you okay?” _Are the humans bothering you?_  Of course Felix could understand Jisung. He was worried for him, and if Jisung took longer to touch his shoulder, he probably would’ve lost control. It wouldn’t have been the first time that that happened.

        “Yeah…just, the looks…they give me chills even worse than those of demons.” Jisung smiled sympathetically, ruffling Felix’s silver hair. He knew that the other had never gone to Earth as often as he did, maybe only two or three times, so he wasn’t as experienced in ignoring the hungry and gruesome glares of the humans. Jisung couldn’t help but agree with Felix, humans were far more awful than demons. At least, they knew what demons wanted: to strip the fairies of their energies and feed and to kill humans, also for the purpose of feeding. Humans, on the other hand…they had far more purposes for their evil attitudes. They were greedy, lustful, selfish, cruel and uncaring, treating their nature like a source of money and not of life.

        Jisung and Felix headed towards the nearest shop at a brisk pace, heeding Chan’s warning of not spending too much time outside until they grew accustomed to the life among humans. Felix would’ve preferred to stay at home, but Hyunjin’s insistence that he needed to get accustomed with the humans was too strong for him to turn the other down. He ended up taking his place in the small trip with Jisung to go get food and other necessities.

        The shop wasn’t as full as Jisung was expecting it to be, but rather empty, poorly illuminated and cold. A sudden strong shiver went down both their spines, making the two fairies clutch the clothes on them tighter in hopes of warming up. The temperature on Earth was two times lower than the one in the Fairy Realm, which led to the five of them almost freezing three times until Chan figured out that a ward around their home, would create a similar atmosphere and temperature as in their world.

        Silently, Felix followed Jisung as the other went through the shelves, grabbing and dropping down items in their basket that they needed, explaining at times to Felix the way the items were classified, where he could find them, the way the prices worked and how there were cameras watching them for security reasons. Felix’s attention shifted on the altercation that was taking place just a few shelves away, where an old lady was having a fight with a young boy, and no matter how hard Felix tried to translate what they were saying, he didn’t really understand. He just saw that the elderly woman was clutching the boy’s wrist quite tightly in her bony hand, yelling at him and taking something out of his hands.

        He had been so focused on the arguing humans that he got lost from Jisung in the shop. He tried to find him with his eyes, already feeling his heartbeat increase with panic, and when he was unsuccessful at finding him, his legs started moving on their own accord down the way they came. At the exit, he still didn’t see Jisung. Worried that the other paid for the items and was waiting for him outside, maybe, he went out and looked around. The streets were dark, the light poles doing an awful job at illuminating them.

        Felix’s skin burned with agitation. He was so desperate to just find Jisung and go back home, that he didn’t even notice the group of humans slowly approaching him with sly and calculating looks. One of them walked faster towards him, pushing his shoulder to gather his attention, making Felix stumble a little.

        “Look guys, he’s a catch.” One of the humans said, but Felix didn’t really understand much besides _look_ and _he._ He tried to step away, not saying anything, and go back inside, but another human grabbed him tightly around the forearm, jerking him back. “Hey, we were talking to you.” Felix didn’t quite know how to respond to the aggressive tone the human was using, and since he never used the human language before, he was more than sure that his accent would sound very off to the humans, so he chose to continue on and keep his mouth shut. “Are you mute? What the fuck is wrong with him?” Another human asked, looking at his little group. He approached Felix, and from the look in his eyes, he seemed to be the leader. Felix stood straighter, not backing down. He was a warrior for god’s sake.

        “How about you come with us.” Those were words Felix understood, sending him into a struggle against the hands holding him. He was so close to burning them, so close to just reveal his canines and bite open their necks, but Chan’s words filtered through his mind, of how humans were never supposed to learn of the existence of fairies. Instead, Felix resorted to the next thing he knew he could do: he found his footing and then turned around sharply, wrenching the arms that were holding him away. He locked eyes with the first human that had approached him and immediately attacked, grabbing the human around the neck and then kneeing him in the stomach. He punched him across the face strongly, making the other fall to the ground, before he turned to the second one that had been holding him, this time roundhouse kicking him, before attempting to attack the next closest human from the group. He didn’t get too close to the third one before a cloth with a weird alcoholic sweet smell was pressed against his nose and mouth from behind, making him unwillingly inhale the substance in his struggle to breathe. He tried to struggle, not feeling any effect from the substance, but after several seconds he started to feel drowsy. The last thing that he remembered was a black van pulling right next to them, a human grabbing him around the waist and hauling him on his shoulder.

        Jisung was panicking. He had lost Felix in the shop and couldn’t find him anywhere. He wanted to kick himself in the face for being so stupid. He should’ve paid more attention to Felix, should’ve made sure that he was behind him all the time, maybe even hold his hand to make sure, but no, Jisung was the airhead he always was. Reaching out to security proved fruitless as well, making Jisung storm outside, hands wrecking his violet locks.

        His eyes noticed a thin trail of dust going down the street and towards a close warehouse that Jisung and Chan had used before to hide during the night from demons whenever there were too many to fight. Following the trail, he finally reached the warehouse where a black van was parked just outside, the trail going inside. Jisung’s eyes widened. Whenever a fairy became terrified, scared or panicked, they left a trail of dust that only their family could see after the bond was made, which could mean only one thing. Tightening his fists and gritting his teeth, Jisung started to walk towards the entrance, eyes fiery. He felt his blood boil with rage.

        When he reached the door, he crouched down when he heard footsteps and voices, slowly crawling through the semi opened door and behind boxes that were stacked one upon the other. When he got a better view of the inside, he saw what could’ve been around five humans and Felix, tied to a chair, unconscious. One of the humans turned around and started to approach Jisung’s spot behind the boxes all of a sudden, making Jisung hold his breath and glue his back to a cardboard box. He relaxed when the human simply leaned down and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the small chair that was right beside the boxes, taking one from it and then throwing it to another human. He lit the cigar up and held it between his lips, his eyes surveying the room before flickering towards Felix for a second, as if checking whether he was still asleep.

        The warehouse was old, the smell of wood and paint lingering amongst other heavy scents such as chemical substances and perfume. The only source of light was a lamp plugged in just a few meters away from Felix and the humans, securely placed on a metal table. The windows were painted with black paint so that no one could see inside. Anyone’s first thought regarding the warehouse would probably be that the warehouse was a local area for gang meetings.

        Felix came to his senses almost as fast as he felt Jisung’s energy. He kept his eyes closed, opting to remain ‘ _asleep’_ for as long as possible. Instead, he allowed his other senses to grow stronger, his sense of smell and hearing ruling over. He could smell the human scent lingering around, the smell of chemicals and wood and cardboard. He felt smooth pavement underneath his feet, the cold metal of the chair cutting into his skin, the coldness of it seeping into his bones. He felt the vibrations of the building, the tones with which the humans were speaking, their heartbeats, Jisung’s heartbeat. He could hear Jisung breathe and it was so soothing to his own ears that he couldn’t help but silently sigh, a bit of the tension relieving.  He felt around his bindings. _Rope. Frail._ Moving his hands gently, he started to warm his skin up, in the end heating the rope as well.

        “What should we do with him? I mean, with such a face, we would make a lot of money by selling him. Or maybe we could force him to join us and make money for us in the drug ring?” One of the humans suddenly questioned after taking a drag of the cheap cigar, and if Felix remembered the voice well enough, it belonged to the first human that approached him. He heard a loud smack and then a thud.

        “Keep that mouth of yours shut if you don’t want others to hear you! What if he is awake?! You fucking moron.” Yeah, well, they didn’t need to know that he was awake. It was so weird for Felix, but he could suddenly understand exactly what they were talking about. He wanted to go home badly now, he wanted to never meet any human again, never interact with any if he had any saying in the matter. He wanted to see Chan and Jeongin and Hyunjin and Jisung again, he wanted to be scolded by Chan for being a tease, he wanted Jeongin to teach him more about plants, he wanted to spend time with Hyunjin in the close-by lake, he wanted to have fun with the pixies and Jisung. He wanted back home, in the Fairy Realm.

        The intense bundle of emotions was so strong on Felix’s heart that he didn’t even realize it when he started to cry, silent tears rolling down his face.

        “Look, he’s crying. Do you think he’s awake?” One of the humans asked, making Felix inhale sharply. Jisung looked up from behind the boxes, realizing that Felix was indeed crying. He also noticed the way smoke was slowly starting to rise from behind Felix, meaning that he was trying to escape his bindings. Jisung decided that that would be the best window to distract the humans.

        Getting up from the ground, he headed towards the humans. Upon noticing Jisung, all of them froze and turned towards him, eyes wide and muscles tense, ready to lunge at the intruder. Jisung looked for a second at Felix, the devastated expression on the younger’s face making the other furious. Felix opened his eyes and that was when Jisung snapped. He shifted, eyes changing from dark brown to vibrant fire, red engulfing the warehouse. His ears and claws grew, the veins underneath his skin turning a darker color. As Jisung glared at the now terrified humans, his white sclera turned dark, his grin growing with malice, his canines elongating even more, the roots of his hair igniting a burning red color, the red bleeding into the already violet shade of his hair.

        Felix watched with wide eyes as Jisung lunged at the humans, his canines and claws piercing through flesh and bone, eyes blazing with rage. He tried to untie himself faster so that he could reach Jisung, stop him from his rage and bring him back. Those humans weren’t worth Jisung’s happiness and sanity.

        “Jisung!” Felix shouted in the fairy language, his voice raspy and pained as he tried to break his ties by wrenching his body in every direction. Jisung didn’t hear him, couldn’t hear him, too busy with the bastards that had dared to attack his family.

        When he was free of his bonds, it was already too late. The warehouse was burning in harsh flames, the humans that had been talking about selling Felix just a few moments ago now lying in heaps of blood and bones, soon to become ashes. Jisung was sitting in the middle of it all, head hung low and clawed fingers hanging limply at his sides, blood dripping from them. Felix hurried up, the chair dropping under the sudden movement. He was by Jisung’s side in no time, grabbing the other by his forearms and dragging him into a fierce hug, locking their bodies together tightly, sinking his fingers into violet locks and burying his face into the now dirty hoodie. Jisung was shaking in his arms, warm tears streaming down his face.

        “I messed up again, Lix.” The soft, broken whisper floated through the damaged building, making Felix start crying as well; he bit his lip in an attempt to muffle the sounds that were itching to escape his throat, but it was just so hard, especially when Jisung placed his hands around him as well, burying his face in the crook of his neck, body shaking harder from the powerful sobs.

        “You saved me Jisungie…You saved me…” Those were the only words Felix could utter without his voice breaking, the only words he could reassure Jisung with that he was a good person, despite being of dark descent. It never happened too often, but If someone dear to Jisung would be endangered or something really bad happened that came with really strong emotions, his dark fairy descent would show through his longer canines, black sclera and intensified powers. Jisung always hated it whenever the change happened, because he hated the dark fairies. They had taken his mother away, and now they were causing him even more pain by having dark fairy blood in his system act whenever someone that he loved got hurt, always making him go crazy. It never got to a full shift, because either Chan or Felix was there to stop him, and that made him worry. What would happen if he ever fully shifted? Would he become dark? He never wanted that to happen.

        “I’m so sorry…” Jisung muttered, burying himself even deeper in Felix’s embrace, his fire dying down and the dark blood in his veins receding back to its core. He felt exhausted all of a sudden, his feet giving up on supporting him. Felix was strong enough to hold the both of them up, but he chose to slide down to the ground, still holding Jisung. After Jisung managed to calm down enough to asset where they were and remember how they got there, he grew alert when he heard the now loud sobs that were escaping Felix’s throat, the other no longer trying to control himself. He had been so scared that he wouldn’t get to go back home, that he wouldn’t see his family again, and now he also caused Jisung to shift just for his sake. He felt awful and guilty and-

        “Felix, hey Lix, come on, it’s not your fault, you know that. Felix!” Felix startled, looking in Jisung’s eyes with his own wide ones, barely feeling the gentle fingers brushing his cheeks. “You’re safe and now we’re going home, alright? I am okay too, see?” Jisung made as if to twirl around, but seeing as they were still on the ground, it didn’t quite work out, although it made Felix laugh a little. He felt somehow better now, but he still felt shook from what had trespassed just minutes ago. In all his 179 years of living, he didn’t remember feeling as afraid as he had then; maybe only when he thought that Chan had been kidnapped by a hoard of demons on the battlefield while Felix was too busy defending Hyunjin’s back in battle.

        After they were both sure that they could stand up straight without falling, they got up from the ground, still holding onto each other. The warehouse was a true wreck now. The authorities will surely wonder what had happened in it that led to such massive destruction, but they would never know.

        At home, Jeongin was the first one to greet them, almost bursting out the door, tears streaming down his face, his voice a wobbly mess of words as he clung to both Jisung and Felix. Chan was the next one to go out, hugging the two warrior fairies fiercely. He tried to apologize for allowing them to go out so soon without them even knowing too much of the dangers, but Felix and Jisung would have none of it, assuring Chan that it wasn’t his fault. Hyunjin was the most devastated out of the three, his eyes rimmed red. When he first laid eyes on Felix, he collapsed against the younger, hugging him tightly, apologies upon apologies stumbling out of his mouth, asking Felix to forgive him, only for Felix to knock him over the head gently despite the tears now clouding his vision as well. He loved his family so much that he couldn’t stand the idea of being separated from them.

        After that incident, Felix closed himself in the house, rarely even going out, avoiding all human contact and staying as far away from public, crowded places. It had gotten better over the years as he got to know his way around,  He had met the worst of humanity and he hadn’t liked it, not one bit. He wasn’t sure he wanted to risk trying to meet the good side of humanity, since everything was always clouded with good intentions, but the rotten truth never stayed hidden for too long. He didn’t want himself or his family to get hurt again, just in hopes of finding a true, good human.

        That certain event had been the first one in a long list of others, but as time passed, Felix grew to know just what to do to escape dangerous situations, to avoid them and even defeat them. He grew more confident in his powers and grew to understand just how similar fighting humans was to fighting demons.

        Maybe he would learn over time to be more comfortable around humans, since not all of them were as evil as the ones that he had encountered. Chan had told him as much, using the fact that in their world, there were both light fairies and dark fairies, so why wouldn’t there be good humans beside bad humans? Felix couldn’t help but agree after more years passed, because some of his classmates in high-school were good with him, some cashiers at shops were so welcoming and with warm smile; there were also teachers that took their time to explain to Felix whatever he didn’t understand and old grandmothers that smiled warmly at Felix and told him in the park as they fed pigeons how they wished they had well-mannered grandchildren like Felix, or how their grandchildren were so alike with him.

        Maybe there was good.

        Maybe....

 

 


	8. Lakes and Cars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a long one this time ;) unbetaed, because i wanted to post it faster :))))

        Chan and Jeongin had been gone for more than two hours, gathering all of the boxes in Chan’s truck-like car and making sure that their home would be protected while they were away for the whole time during the week. In order to convince all of his family to agree to his suggestion of living away the school years in the dorm, he agreed to the condition of going back home for the weekends. As Jeongin buckled in, Chan took his time to warm the car up before he started to drive. It had felt foreign for Chan to drive a car at first, when all he ever needed to do back in the Fairy Realm was simply flutter his wings open and just fly to wherever he needed to be. The car…well, bad things happened if cars started to fly all of a sudden. As the car pulled out of the forest, Jeongin looked behind, already feeling his energy lower as all of the nature that used to surround him was replaced with cemented, dead earth and constructions.

        When Chan’s eyes took in the longing in Jeongin’s green irises and the way his light seemed to dim, he placed a hand on the other’s head, making him jump and look at the older surprised.

        “Hey, I wouldn’t have made us all leave our home if I wouldn’t have considered it a helpful thing for us. And besides, Woojin said that the university is a really good place for fairies due to all of the nature that is surrounding it and the huge greenhouse that is right in the middle.”

        “Greenhouse?”

        “Yes, a place where plants are kept inside a transparent building so that they are kept safe from harsh weather. It’s really beautiful! Even Felix said so and you know how much he dislikes going out in the human world.” Jeongin seemed far more relaxed now that he heard new info from Chan about the academy. He was also thinking about what he should do to get along with his classmates, but that was something to worry about later.

        “Do you think that there will be other fairies at the university?” Jeongin asked an innocent question, but said question made Chan tense all over. Woojin’s words from the other night passed through his mind again, reminding him that wherever they went, they would still be endangered:

        _Woojin was pacing around the living room, deep in thought, while Chan was holding his head in his hands on the couch, exhausted after the discussions that had ensued after the news were out that they would be staying at the dorms of the university. Jisung was the one who rejected Chan’s idea the most, saying that Felix would be endangered if he spent too much time outside with other humans and that he wasn’t willing to risk his little brother’s life just so they could learn to get along with humans. Felix had followed him after the other stormed outside furiously when Chan tried to explain, but not before looking at Chan. The look that the younger sent to him was guarded, but Chan could read that Felix trusted him and his reasoning. He felt a little better knowing that. Jeongin just looked scared, while Hyunjin didn’t even know what to feel._

_“Chan, you also need to know something.” Woojin’s reluctant voice made the other look up immediately. Woojin had stopped pacing around and was now standing a few meters away from the couch, his eyes fixed on Chan, calm like lake on a summer day. “There are other creatures attending the university. Other fairies, shape-shifters and shamans, and even some of the lower ranked creatures that are powerful enough to maintain a human form. I know that you’ve been to the university for two years now, but I’m sure you’ve never met any. As a teacher, I did.” Chan frowned, now playing with his fingers. He was beginning to doubt whether his idea was really such a good one as he had thought it to be. He wasn’t going to endanger his family when he was supposed to protect it. He had taken an oath, when they made the family bond, to protect his brothers, and if anything happened, he would gladly give his life in order to protect them. He knew they didn’t want him to think like that, that they would rather have Chan by their side and not survive rather than suffer a life without him and the pain of the bond breaking. It was something that was unheard of, a family living on after a part of it died, because the pain was just so unbearable that the fairies couldn’t resist it for too long. That was why the family bond was one of the most sacred rituals that the elders and younglings both deeply respected._

_“Hey, you’ll all be fine. I’ll be there to offer you my help whenever you will need it, and I’m more than sure that you’ll be capable of protecting them. Plus, your brothers are among the strongest fairies that I’ve ever met, and as a teacher that roamed this realm for quite a while, I’ve met a lot of ‘em.” Chan hadn’t even realized it when Woojin had sat down next to him and grabbed him by the shoulder, his hand resting there gently, a reassuring smile on his lips. Suddenly, Chan had the urge to kiss those soft, pink lips that were always so kind to him, but he drowned that urge down, instead placing one of his hands over Woojin’s and smiling thankfully at him. He was grateful for the reassurance._

        “Yeah, there will be other fairies, though I don’t know if we will meet them, you know? Since the university is so big… I mean, ever since my first year there, I never met with any fairy.” Jeongin nodded, now playing with the hem of his shirt. From the corner of his eyes, Chan saw something move in Jeongin’s hood, making him slow the car down so he could take a better look without running into anyone. “Hey Jeongin…what’ve you got in your hood?” Jeongin startled at that, removing his back from the seat and turning his head around as much as his neck allowed so he could peek inside. There was something moving inside the soft, furry hood, making Jeongin frown. He didn’t remember having anything in it when he came back home from the dorms.

        Reaching a hand inside the hood, Chan searched gently, careful to not hurt whatever was hiding inside. His face lit up as he realized what it was, making Jeongin shake his head at him inquiringly.

        “Close your eyes.” Jeongin did so, almost immediately, another proof of the utmost trust that they all had in each other. Carefully, Chan took out the small pixie that was now yawning and glaring softly at Chan for having woken her up from her peaceful nap. He tapped Jeongin’s shoulder to let him know that it was okay for him to open his eyes, his own trained on the younger, waiting for his reaction. Chan hadn’t forced the pixies to leave with them, even going as far as making sure that the living room window was open for them to enter the house and that there was enough food. Shiaj, Groovy and Yrys had chosen to come along, wishing to keep Felix, Hyunjin and Jisung company and also help around the house chores and with spells. When asked by Jeongin, they had said that they didn’t want to get bored at home, but the soft and understanding look that Jeongin acquired after he heard their response made it obvious that it had something to do with more than just being bored.

        Upon opening his eyes, Jeongin squeaked cutely out of joy, extending his hands to take the pixie from Chan. It was as if the sun was shining upon Jeongin’s face from how much he lit up with energy. Chan had a pixie that preferred him as well, back in the Fairy Realm, a powerful one, but he requested of him to remain in the Fairy Realm and protect Olivia, Rachel, and the others in his stead. Chan really missed the mischief that Hether brought. The pixie smiled brightly, extending her small hands towards Jeongin, her forehead coming into contact with is nose as if she was giving him a small hug, before she jumped off with a flutter of her wings and then wrapped herself around one of Jeongin’s hoodie strings, before flying up to cuddle against his neck, making Jeongin chuckle and squirm a little because he was ticklish there.

        “Pheeya, why did you come?” Jeongin inquired, his eyes still laughing with joy. Pheeya made high pitched sounds that turned low at times, making it sound like a melodious flow. She had bright green eyes and short pink hair, tied with a daisy at the back of her head, a red dress hugging her small frame.

        “No, of course I’m happy.”

        “Really?!”

        “Oh my…you’re serious. Oh well, I guess…”

        “No, but like that? Stop teasing me…” The conversation kept on going even as Chan parked the car in the close vicinity of the university. He didn’t even dare question what Pheeya was arguing about with Jeongin, seeing as the younger was a very worrying shade of red.

        When Jeongin reached out to grab one of the boxes from behind, Chan called out to him no to, saying that Jisung and Hyunjin would take care of them. Instead, he urged the earth fairy inside through the right entrance to the dormitories, before taking another right and then a left to reach their dorm apartment, number 77. The academy was indeed very big, the first half of it being filled with dorm apartments on the left and on the right, and the second half filled with classrooms, laboratories, a big library and a cafeteria –that Chan rarely went to –; the dormitory wings were actually sections united through small halls that were continued with bigger halls through stairs that came together at the base of the small hall, dorm apartments residing on both sides of the big halls. Along the apartments from the lower level, facing the interior of the campus, was a veranda that went from the entrance of the wing to the end of it, where the classroom sections began.

        The walls were painted a light green with a single grey stripe following their length, openings towards the veranda being found alongside the smaller halls. Both entrances of the university had black bar gates that could be opened fully to allow cars inside, a second, much smaller gate of the same color fixed into the left side of the bigger gate, specifically added there for the students. In the middle of the campus sat a huge construction in the form of a tilted ball made of transparent walls, inside residing several types of plants and flowers, either intended for use by the herbalism students, or just for décor, the sound of chirping from the birds inside spreading everywhere.

        The second half of the university was organized the same way as the first one was, although the second held several classrooms, some big, others small, upstairs residing the teachers room, the office that belonged to the headmaster, and the huge library that spread above the whole right wing of classrooms. The left wing was full of classrooms.

        Their apartment, 77, faced the veranda, allowing the ones that had rooms facing it as well to simply enjoy the view from there, while the apartments across from them had a direct view to the streets and the wild city life.

        Knocking on the door, Jeongin went inside first, Chan following while Jisung closed the door behind them. Inside, Chan started to look around, pondering about what they needed to move and where, which rooms would be whose besides Felix, since he already chose the one facing the veranda, and what other papers he needed to sign regarding their move-in. Maybe he should check in with Woojin after they are done?

        “Chan, Jeongin…I’m so glad you’re back.” Felix came out of his room, engulfing both Chan and Jeongin in a strong hug. Chan could feel that the younger was agitated, but he didn’t know why. There were no evil presences around them, no one that posed any danger to them.

        “Did something happen?” When Felix heard the worry in Chan’s voice, he blushed, suddenly embarrassed. There wasn’t anything precisely wrong, it was just that he was feeling uncomfortable and nervous without the usual wards that made their home feel safe and warm. Perceiving Felix’s hesitation to answer, Chan placed his hand on his shoulder, fingers gripping the bone gently and reassuringly.

        “I just feel really uncomfortable without the wards surrounding the area. When will you be placing them?” Felix requested, fiery eyes wide, before he shook his head slightly and they shifted back to brown, making Chan start to worry; Felix was the worst when it came to glamour around humans, despite how much he was trying to succeed at maintaining his human features. Felix ignored the worried look that Chan threw his way, instead looking at Jeongin with a raised eyebrow. Jeongin bopped Felix’s nose in response, chuckling when the other went cross-eyed.

        “We’ll get onto it immediately. I just need to pass by my room to leave something there.” Jeongin answered, holding something gently in his arms, and when Felix glanced down, he saw Pheeya cuddled in Jeongin’s hoodie, slightly shivering.  After all, not only fairies felt the coldness of the human realm, but the pixies and other creatures from the fairy realm as well.

 

****

        Having been shooed away while the two worked on the wards and Jisung and Hyunjin brought boxes inside, Felix headed back to his room where he started to move things around, placing his bed on the other side of the wall, moving the wardrobe next to the big window and the desk on the other side of it. He took the small armchair and bookshelf from the hall and brought it inside, already opening one of his boxes so he could start unloading his books. He was lucky that he had Shiaj with him to remind him with various, exaggerated body movements that he needed first to paint the walls whichever way he wanted to before he got to settle things around in his room.

        Begrudgingly, he got up and grabbed the paint bottles. He had received purple, blue, orange and green paints, four brushes and another bottle that was labeled _phosphorescent paint._ Felix scrunched his nose, throwing the pain out of the room and into the kitchen. Felix was not allergic to many things, but among those at which he was, resided phosphorus. Whenever he smelled phosphor, he started to sneeze like crazy, his nose running and his body hot from the smell. Chan had found it to be weird, since fairies rarely were allergic to substances found in the human realm.

        He opened the first bottle, purple, and dipped his brush inside, allowing his imagination to run wild as he painted a field of lilies, lavender and lilac surrounded by green trees. The ceiling, he painted it blue like the sky, outlining soft clouds that seemed to run towards the room next to his. He painted the wooden door with sunflowers, both on the inside and on the outside, the name ‘ _Felix’_ written in cursive letters with blue. The window frame was splattered with both purple and orange, dots of blue framing the place where the headboard of the bed was. On the wall above the bedframe, he nailed a painting on it that he had done back in the fairy realm of him, Chan and his sisters, while on the other wall, he placed another painting of him playing in the snow with Hyunjin, Jisung, Jeongin and Chan. It was the painting that he had done right after his first time of ever touching snow. That had happened twelve years after they had been exiled.

        Once the room became more colorful, Felix flopped down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Raising his hands, he closed his eyes and started to sway them from left to right, sparks igniting and fire flying through the room, adding the final touches to it. The ceiling now bore shining dots that lit the room, stars now residing among the clouds. The wardrobes and furniture was darker in color, the bed sheets red from their usual white color. The carpet underneath Felix’s bare feet softened, the blue color blending in with the dark wooden floor. Shiaj was watching everything unfold before his eyes with fascination. The fire fairy before him was one of the strongest that he had ever met in his long, long life, but also one of the kindest and most interesting, despite sometimes doing stupid things. Centuries had passed since someone last tried Shiaj’s pixie candies, centuries since a fairy trusted him enough to do so, and when Felix had given in that night and took a bite out of the candies, Shiaj had felt his heart beat with happiness. He felt at ease around Felix, maybe because he was attracted to things that burned and Felix was burning brighter than any star.

****

        They were in the last room where they needed to scribble the words so that the ward would be completed. The office room that they had received was huge and the painting underneath beautiful, a hot desert with a cobra coiling around, fangs hidden, head held high and majestically. Upon seeing the floor, Chan grew worried that if they scribbled on the floor, the glass would break, so when Jeongin tried harder to make the words visible, Chan interrupted him with a nervous laugh, instead suggesting that he did the marks on the wall.

        As soon as the five circles were united through the equal number of lines, both their eyes lit up, their fingers burning with energy. Deciding that the room would be a good enough ward source, Chan and Jeongin got up from the glass floor and walked to the center of the room where they faced each other, before they brought their hands forward and clasped them together, amber fusing with green, the powerful light that left in a circle from around them passing over the walls and through the whole apartment, everything that the ward touched glowing golden and green for a few seconds before it disappeared. A vine of green and amber intertwined passed across the windowsill, making it impossible for anyone to enter. They checked the door that led to the common hall as well, and were satisfied to see the same vine decorating the frame.

        Sighing heavily, Jeongin muttered that he would be going to sleep for a little bit in his room to recover, leaving Chan alone in the small hall. Chan himself felt quite tired, although there were still too many things to be done for him to have the time to sleep.

        He decided to check up on Felix for the time being as there was still half an hour before Chan had to leave for his meeting with the headmaster of the university. He felt a smile bloom on his face when he took in Felix’s door. _Sunflowers…of course…_ He knocked on the door gently, a slight humming of agreement urging him to enter. Inside, Chan was shocked by how beautiful everything looked, from the way the colors mingled together down to the arrangement of everything. He knew Felix was an artist, but not to this extent. Amongst the furniture pieces, he found Felix lounging against his windowsill, eyes taking in everything from the veranda to the greenhouse and everything that he could see beyond. He was right for trusting Chan when the other said that the university was beautiful. There still were green trees around the university, grass surrounding them, the paths that led towards the classrooms paved with stones and small pebbles, not cement. The air was clear around there, and the small living creatures that were making noises, like the occasional cricket or the melodious song of the birds, was relaxing Felix.

        “You were right.” The deep voice rang through the room softly after minutes of Felix staring out the window with Chan sitting on his bed, almost falling asleep. Chan shook awake and rose in a sitting position, looking at Felix with a raised eyebrow, amusement on his face.

        “Right about what?”

        “The university. I really like it now that I took some time to look at it.” Felix explained, before he turned around on the ledge to regard Chan, a smile on his lips. His freckles were dimmed now, no longer sparkling from the pixie dust, although if Shiaj were to notice, Chan could bet he would go and wiggle around Felix until he sparkled again.

        “I’m glad you like it.” The look that they shared spoke more words. _I’m glad you agreed. I’m glad you took the chance to be around humans again._ The silence that followed after was a comfortable one, Chan leaning back down on the bed while Felix resumed his analysis of the university, playing with a small bubble of fire between his hands.

        “You know, the window is pretty low so we could jump from it.” Chan’s booming laughter pierced through the silence at Felix’s words, looking at the younger with an incredulous look while Felix’s eyes just said, _What, isn’t that a normal thing?_

****

        For the umpteenth time, Jisung sighed, throwing a dejected look towards the back of the truck. He and Hyunjin had been carrying boxes for more than two hours now, and when they though that they were done, the truck miraculously refilled with boxes. Sometimes, Jisung really hated the back of Chan’s truck, because it was just like a pit without a bottom. It was good when moving around…but yeah, carrying so much stuff afterwards wasn’t an easy thing. He could bet that more than half of the boxes were Jeongin’s plants.

        “Hey, we’re almost done.” Jisung huffed, unbelieving. “For real! We only have around ten more boxes.” Hyunjin reassured Jisung, grabbing half of the boxes and stacking them one over the other, before grabbing them all in his arms and hurrying inside towards the first set of stairs that passed the reception and led to the first big hall, before he took the stairs to the right and entered the common hall. It wasn’t a really long distance that they had to carry the boxes, but Jisung was still surprised that Hyunjin could easily carry five boxes at once. Feeling his competitive side awaken, Jisung shot forward and grabbed all of the boxes, stacking them the say way as Hyunjin, before he started to move forward. By the time he was halfway to the common hall, Jisung realized just how hard it was and that he could barely see where he was going.

        “GAhh!” Jisung shouted as the first two boxes from above started to sway, making him stop in his tracks so that they wouldn’t fall, but then Jisung’s foot got caught in the red carpet from the big hall, making him stumble a little, sending the two boxes flying. He scrunched his eyes shut, not wanting to see the things fly out of the boxes and already preparing for Jeongin’s rant, but then, he heard nothing.

        Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that a gorgeous student had helped catch the two boxes before they fell on the ground. He had soft brown locks and big dark eyes, looking at Jisung with…recognition? Jisung found him familiar as well, but he knew that he had never seen him before, despite how much he thought otherwise. Stopping himself from staring for too much, Jisung smiled brightly.

        “Thank you so much! I’m Jisung! Would’ve shaken your hand if not for the boxes.” Jisung exclaimed in a try at a joke, immediately cringing in his mind at what he said. To his surprise, the other laughed, coming beside Jisung and bumping his shoulder.

        “I’m Minho. We can bump shoulders otherwise!” Jisung was in love. I repeat, Jisung was in love. He was so star-struck, that he didn’t even manage to hear what the other was saying, until the other bumped his shoulder again, hands still busy with two boxes.

        Minho was waiting for Jisung’s response, him thoughts filling with images of the fairy before him that night, almost 200 years ago. He knew Jisung wasn’t remembering him. He had made sure of that.

        “I asked if you need help taking these to your dorm.” Minho repeated when Jisung shook his head, eyes confused. He was blushing as well, after he realized that he had spaced out while another person was talking with him again.

In the end, Minho walked with Jisung to his dorm room, leaving the boxes by the door, before turning around again, saying that he needed to go buy coffee from the convenience store down the road and that he would be seeing the other again. During their walk, Jisung learned that the other’s dorm room was across from theirs, that he was technically older than him, by two human years, and that he would be going to the same field of study as Jisung. Now, Jisung didn’t really need to stalk the other to learn his name and other stuff like that as he used to do in high-school.

        Inside the dorm room, Hyunjin was surprised that he had managed to bring all the five boxes in at once, so Jisung chose to not say that Minho had helped him, instead smiling smugly at the other; in the end, that made Hyunjin tickle him, resulting in Jisung shouting for help from Felix. Felix joined the tickle fight, but not on Jisung’s side. Instead, another set of hands started to tickle him.   

        “You traitor!”

****

        After the first two hours of preparing different specialties of coffee and tea, Changbin realized just how much he liked his new job, which was a lot. The café had good music playing all the time, the customers were all nice, and the coffee machines were easy to work with once you got used to them. Siege, his boss, was on cloud 9 after he saw how good everything was turning out to be, exclaiming that now he no longer needed to close the café.

        “Mr. Siege? I have a small suggestion.” Siege came to Changbin almost as soon as he heard the younger call for him. He was regarding him with wide eyes, as if something bad happened. “It’s a good thing.” Siege relaxed, exhaling deeply.

      “I’m so sorry Changbin. I guess I’m still in shock, y’know? What was your suggestion?”

        “I’m thinking we could add a bell above the front door, so that we could hear when someone enters in case we are in the back or something like that.” Siege’s eyes lit up. He brushed Changbin’s dark locks with affection and nodded.

        “What a wonderful idea! We shall apply it immediately, hmm?” Changbin nodded, whipping out his phone to message Minho to buy one.

        **_Changbin_**

_Minho, could you buy a bell so that we could hang it above the door at the café?_

_**Minho**_

_Just your luck, I was out buying coffee. What color?_

_**Changbin**_

_The color doesn’t really matter :)))_

_**Minho**_

_Got you kiddo._

Changbin smiled, correcting Minho in his mind that he was no kiddo, before turning his attention back to the current customer that was still not sure what to buy. She looked quite young, maybe second year of high-school, and foreign. She had ombre blonde hair and stormy blue eyes, and was wearing a student tag around her name. Squinting a little bit, he saw that her name was Adriana. This was another thing that Changbin enjoyed. While he worked, he got to see different people from different areas of work or fields of study, got to talk with some of them and interact with other people without it being awkward.

        The girl kept on flipping form one side to the other of the menu, looking from time to time up at Changbin, as if to see if the other grew impatient of her indecisiveness. Thinking that he should help a little, he leaned over the counter and pointed at one of the several specialties.

        “This one will taste as if you combined the two drinks that you can’t decide upon, together.” The girl looked up, surprised. She opened her mouth to speak, at first attempting to speak in Korean but when she deemed that it was too messy, she continued the sentence in English, making Changbin chuckle.

        “I’m sorry I made you wait for so long, I just didn’t know what to take. I must’ve annoyed you.”

        “Oh, not at all. It’s my job to help customers whether they do not know what to get.” Changbin answered with what little English he knew, making the girl smile at his attempt. “And don’t worry, you’ll get even better at Korean while you’re here. You just need practice.” The girl thanked Changbin and bowed, before she took her coffee and left, meeting across the street with another girl with whom she started to talk animatedly, her face breaking into a wild grin.

        That was just one of the multiple occurrences that took place over the rest of the day, Changbin helping each and every person decide what to order, or even just listening to their stories as they needed someone to talk with. When Minho and Seungmin came at the café later on, they found Changbin laughing with an old lady at the marble counter. Not wanting to disturb the two, they went in the back to the locker room so that they could get changed in their work suits, the bell neatly placed atop Minho’s bag. Siege rounded the corner just as the two boys went outside, making the three stop so that they didn’t run into each other.

        “Good luck today guys! Don’t worry and just enjoy yourselves! That’s what I believe: a job done while enjoying yourself is the best job possible.” Minho and Seungmin nodded, both of them smiling. They were really glad they got a boss that wasn’t strict or with a narrow mind.

        Inside the lounge area, there was a group of students that had already been served and at the window area, the old lady was now talking with her grandson about his paintings, smiling at him encouragingly, despite the tears that were slowly trailing down. Seungmin frowned at said scene, wondering why the little boy was crying. Changbin was reading something on his phone with a frown, making Minho and Seungmin share a look.

        “Changbin, is everything okay?” Seungmin inquired, making Changbin jump and almost drop his phone. Minho stared at Changbin for a few seconds before laughing incredulously.

        “That’s why you wanted the bell!” Changbin looked at Minho with wide eyes, a blush slowly blooming on his face. He tried to hide it, coughing loudly and then launching in an explanation for Seungmin’s question.

        “There are some news circling this area lately, so I got pretty invested in them. Now I’m checking them almost daily to see if someone else was injured.”

        “Injured?”

        “Yeah. Apparently, a couple was attacked late at night a few weeks ago, but they just remember a black shadow. They were bruised and felt drained after waking up. Then, a businessman was attacked while he was unlocking his car in the parking building; same thing with the shadow and memory loss. Don’t you find that weird?” Minho’s mind took in the details, immediately realizing what was going on. Most definitely demon attacks, but why?

        “Heh…yeah. Weird.” Seungmin muttered, throwing a look at Minho that didn’t go unnoticed by Changbin, although the other was interrupted when the boy with the grandma suddenly got up, his chair scraping the floor with a wail; he grabbed one of his drawings and ripped it apart before he left the café in a  hurry, wiping the tears off of his face. The grandma gathered the other drawings and the torn one before following after her grandson, throwing Changbin a regretful look for storming outside all of a sudden and for the disturbance.

        “What happened with the kid?” Minho inquired, taking a seat at the marble table, Seungmin following close by. Changbin sighed heavily, sitting down as well and throwing his phone to the side.

        “The kiddo didn’t follow the supposed pattern when drawing some flowers, making him the only one with an odd paper-work, despite it being the best out of his class. That got him a scolding from the teacher, who told him that he doesn’t care whether he drew better, if he didn’t follow the pattern, and that his creativity was unnecessary. Honestly, when I heard that from the grandmother, I really wanted to punch that teacher and the system. Like, why the hell do we need to follow certain patterns when we can do so much better than them? The system simply wants us to be little robots, all the same and perfect, and unthinking. They end up squishing the creativity out of kids, by telling them to fly when they don’t have the wings to and then throwing them into an open fall just to prove to them that they are useless. No wonder almost everyone hates the system or is overpowered by it.”

        “And in which category do you fit, Changbin?” Changbin was surprised by the understanding behind Minho’s words.

        “I’m an outcast of the system.” They were silent about that afterwards, choosing instead to discuss about the bell and how to tie it up, playing rock-paper-scissors to find out who would be climbing the ladder. Minho paled when he got picked, exclaiming that he didn’t like heights. Seungmin switched with him, patting Minho’s head when the other pouted. Meanwhile, Changbin went to the back of the café so he could gather his belongings and change into his normal clothes. While he was taking off his white shirt, his phone pinged with a new notification, the screen lighting up.

**_Name ain’t ByungChan_ **

**chan:** hey Changbin, I heard you were looking for me today. Wanna come over later?  
**changbin:** later meaning…?  
**chan:** 6-ish?  
**changbin:** alright.

        After he was done changing and talking with Chan, Changbin slung his bag over his shoulder and passed by Siege’s office to announce him that he would be leaving and that Seungmin and Minho were there already.

        “Bye guys, have fun!” He shouted towards Minho and Seungmin, who waved him back, before he pulled the door open, smiling when he heard the bell ring loud and clearly.

       He chose to walk by foot all the way back to the academy, instead of catching his usual bus. This way, he could take in the shops and other buildings that were around in his area, the nature and the large park that was quite close to the university. The sun was still warm, but not as hot as it used to be a few days ago, meaning that autumn was slowly, slowly approaching.

        The university seemed to glow in the robust sunlight, the stone walls that surrounded the structure cooling the area around the university, casting a quite big shadow over the driveways.

        It was silent inside the university campus, the birds from the greenhouse most probably sleeping under the hot sun. There were some students chattering around their small halls, but other than that, nothing…except for the bickering bunch of students that were peering into the open hood of a truck, almost as if they were glaring at the engine. Frowning, Changbin took a detour, going over to the three to check what was going on. As he got closer, he realized that the ones having trouble with the engine were Hyunjin, Felix and another boy whom Changbin assumed to be Jeongin.

        Felix was the first one to notice him, his eyes going comically wide, making Changbin chuckle internally. He wasn’t sure he was going to see the younger after he had bumped into him, but there he was, right in front of him. Hyunjin and Jeongin looked up only when Changbin placed a hand on their shoulders, a small smile on his face.

        “Need any help?” Felix was still looking at him, not knowing what to say or do. Hyunjin was not as shocked as the other, instantly explaining that they tried to start the car only for the engine to make a few noises before it died down, several times. Changbin went through the several mechanics lessons that he had taken during high-school, before he remembered reasons for the car to not start or make weird noises.

        “Here, let me have a look.” Changbin said, dropping his messenger bag into the grass and then approaching the raised hood of the car. Felix, Hyunjin and Jeongin watched with wide eyes as Changbin leaned over the engine, looking at wires and other components of the car, all the while muttering to himself. He reached for a wire, which he disconnected, and then looked inside the small tunnel. Felix, unconsciously, was leaning over to look as well, jumping slightly when Changbin straightened up. He blushed when Changbin grinned at him.

        “Do you happen to have a box of tools for the car and a spare spark plug around?” Changbin inquired, looking at Hyunjin this time. The other frowned, not remembering seeing one whenever he traveled with Chan. Jeongin startled from beside them and hurried towards the back seats, where he opened the door and threw himself inside the car, reaching behind the driver’s seat. He fished out a red box and brought it outside, pushing it in Hyunjin’s hands, before he started to search through the front compartment. He threw outside a few paper bills, a notebook and a torch before he exclaimed, taking his head out of the car and handing a spark plug.

        “How did you…” Hyunjin began, only for Felix to interrupt him.

        “He spends a lot of time driving around with Chan, of course he would know the car like the back of his hand.” Changbin grinned at Jeongin, receiving a smile in return, before he took the toolbox from Hyunjin. He placed it on the ground in front of him and knelt down, searching through the box for a socket spanner, copper grease and a torque wrench. Once he found what he needed, he set to work, checking each of the four spark plugs to see which one needed to be changed. In their luck, only one needed changing, and only one they had.

       He pulled the old spark plug out with the socket spanner, and the added copper grease on the black socket connected to the wire that had been inserted right above the spark plug entry area. After he checked whether the spark plug had the right dimensions, he screwed it in and then tightened it with the torque wrench. To end the change, he put back into place the HT leads and then closed the hood of the car, stepping back a little. He felt hot from all the work in the sun, his black t-shirt and cap having absorbed the heat. He wiped his forehead and brushed his hair back with the back of his hand, looking around him. All three boys were looking at him in wonder, Felix especially, his cheeks red and eyes glowing for a second, as if on fire, before they were back to normal. Changbin blamed it on the lighting.

        “You…he…umm…Thank you so much!” Jeongin stuttered in the beginning, before he turned towards Changbin and bowed, a grin on his face. “Now we can use the car, right?”

        “Give it a try.” Changbin said, waving towards the car. Hyunjin nodded and went to the other side, opening the door and seating himself in front of the wheel. He started the car and waited for the usual weird sound that would appear before the car stopped, but he didn’t hear it. In fact, the car was as silent as she should be. Hyunjin grinned widely from behind the windscreen, giving the three boys the thumbs up.

        Felix was still, technically, in shock, since the scene that had taken place just a few moments before had been so cliché, what with Changbin repairing the car, grinning at Felix, muscles tightening underneath the black t-shirt as the other leaned over the hood to check the engine, Felix felt like passing out. He was sure he was as red as a tomato, frozen like a statue, and crashing hard like an airplane out of the sky. To his luck, he just had to wave as Changbin turned around to leave back towards the door, since he didn’t really trust his voice. He could feel the magnetic pull urge him to follow Changbin and actually speak with him, not just stare at him, but his shyness got the best of him yet again, since he really wasn’t ready to hold a glamour around Changbin. The other could simply just laugh and Felix’s glamour would plummet to the ground just like his focus. He was sure Changbin had a wonderful laughter.

        When he got knocked upside down on his head by Jeongin, Felix hurried towards the car and got inside, buckling up his seatbelt while Hyunjin started to drive. He was curious why Changbin hadn’t commented on the fact that neither of them looked old enough to be driving a car.

        As soon as he was sure the car drove away without any other problems, Changbin turned around and entered the dorm wing, hurrying back to his own apartment. He had around three more hours to waste away before he would meet with Chan, so he chose to tidy up his room. When that wasted far too little time, Changbin started to rap to his old songs, adding new ones along the way, changing the lyrics, changing the melody line, drawing shapes and musical notes along his papers, stacking his lyrics notebooks one over the other, before he started to look through the news, now bored out of his mind.

****

        The trip back to their house was uneventful…that is, if you didn’t take into consideration how Hyunjin almost crashed the car into a tree while driving through the forest. All three of them screamed as the car turned sharply, barely avoiding the tree. Jeongin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, knocked Hyunjin over the shoulder strongly.

        “Watch where you’re going!” Felix was more than sure that he had seen all of his life before his eyes, and damn it was long.

        The house was just as they had left it, maybe a little bit emptier of energy. As soon as they stepped over the ward, they raced each other to the door, Jeongin winning against Felix by a centimeter, the younger throwing himself inside through the door. The pixies that were sleeping inside the living room now burst into the kitchen, dancing around the three fairies with joy visible on their faces.

        They had come back because Felix had forgotten one of his books in the trunk that sat at the foot of his bed, but after talking with Chan, they chose to remain for the night there, before they went back to the dorm apartment.

        After staying inside the kitchen, three cups of tea in front of them now empty, Hyunjin got up from the table, a wild grin on his face.

        “Shall we take a bath in the lake?” Jeongin, who of course heard from a mile away that they wanted to go to the lake, ran instantly into the kitchen, eyes already sparkling. Felix looked from Jeongin to Hyunjin, and then repeated the motion for five more times, before he sighed and got up, making Jeongin squeal and run out the door. Felix and Hyunjin followed after the youngling, guiding him whenever he didn’t take the right turn. When Jeongin wasn’t being guided by the earth, he was rather bad with directions.

        The lake was a beautiful sight, the water stretching even more than their ward did, which was big. The lake was encompassed by trees, creating an opening for a wooden bridge than went only a few meters in. The sand and grass that made the passing between land and lake were heated up from the sun, the water sparkling in the dying rays. They all went up on the wooden bridge, stepping carefully over the creaking plaques, all over to the edge where they slung their legs over and sat down, their legs dangling freely. At the ledge far to their right, a group of nixie spirits was playing with the water, some bickering and others throwing pebbles across the lake. Hyunjin was looking at them with interest, since he had never seen nixies up close, and the only thing that resembled them was Woojin, what with their unheard of beauty and smartness.

        Felix was absolutely in no way surprised when he felt Hyunjin’s hand on his back, pushing him over the ledge and into the water, making it ripple around him. He was patiently waiting until the elder suddenly decided upon mischief. When he surfaced, he saw Jeongin grinning, but no signs of Hyunjin. Felix was already shifted, bearing his fairy features freely now that he no longer was amongst humans. His fiery eyes were searching the waters around him, his body turning around so he could find Hyunjin’s location, but apparently, the other found him first, fingers clasping around his heels underwater, making him jump with a scream and try to swim away and dive in. He felt the fingers release him, and as he dove underneath, he saw Hyunjin, gills on his neck, fingers united by a thin membrane. He started to swim forwards, keeping his head underwater still, enough so he could see when Hyunjin started to swim with him, although he was swimming on his back, grinning at the fire fairy that was above him a few millimeters up. He was so close that Felix could see the teal waves in the other’s eyes, the dark hair that formed a halo around his head as he swam, the lips that parted to reveal sharp canines. They swam together, and to Felix it felt as if he was looking in a mirror, his reflection being Hyunjin as they swam in sync, both bearing equally happy smiles. It had been ages since he last swum with the water fairy, ages since he had as much fun in the water. When they surfaced, Felix turned around towards Hyunjin, and as the older surfaced as well, Felix took in the sight before him: the other was beautiful underwater, but even more beautiful in the summer rays, his black wet hair plastered to his forehead, some stray locks of hair going over his eyebrows, his sharp ears fluttering gingerly as he lounged in the water, lips luscious from the water and eyes shining a wild electric blue, his skin shining from the water that glued to his skin like an armor.

        “Take a photo, it lasts longer.” He heard Jeongin ‘ohhh’ in the distance, while Felix gaped at the other. Hyunjin could barely contain his laughter.

        “Oh my…I can’t believe you used a human saying like that.” Hyunjin doubled over with laughter, almost going underwater again. Felix grinned when he saw the other’s red face, and when he remembered that Jeongin was still sitting up on the ledge, he sneakily swam towards the bridge, grabbing Jeongin’s leg and pulling him in the lake, laughing at the look of momentary terror on the other’s face. When Jeongin surfaced, he looked just like a cat, or a fox, caught in the rain.

        “Awww, our cute youngling got wet, we should dry him, don’t you think?” Felix inquired, earning a terrified shout from Jeongin as his hands dove forward, heated up, his grin wild. Hyunjin swam away from the screaming fairies as Jeongin ran from Felix. Instead, he paid a visit to the nixies, playing with the water and creating small tunnels through which they could go.

        When the sun lowered into the sky, the nature bloomed even more under the stars, the wild life running through the trees in a wild hunt. As they got out of the lake, Felix made sure to dry their bodies, even though Hyunjin didn’t really need to be dried off.

       As they tried to find their way through the barely lit forest, they came by a rare phenomenon: a hoard of bioluminescent blue butterflies were flying at ground level through the several ferns that covered the roots of the trees, blessing the green with blue highlights. Felix followed the trail of butterflies, his pace picking up. When they reached their house, they noticed the butterflies circling the ward, flying around it in a rising spiral. The ball of blue light that came out of their movements illuminated the forest, incredibly so. They had never seen such a thing happen, not even in their own realm. Hyunjin took his eyes away from the blue spiral, instead glancing at Felix. He was left gaping at the younger as he saw the blue from the butterflies mingle in with the fire of Felix’s eyes, resulting in a purple hue that seemed so strong and powerful in Felix’s eyes. The younger took everything in, excited to see something so beautiful happen right before him.

        Jeongin was the first one to move out of the three, hurrying towards the butterflies and gingerly holding one between his open palms. The butterfly accepted to sit on his palms, wings fluttering, before it flew up and onto his nose, making Jeongin go cross-eyed.

        Upon moving his feet to walk towards Jeongin, Felix felt something heavy on his heel. As he looked down, he saw what he believed at first to be a simple hobgoblin, but upon further inspection, he realized that it wasn’t just any hobgoblin, but a wind one, a rare Hubblegub hobgoblin, that most often looked like a hedgehog with sharp, red spikes and with golden eyes. Felix gasped when he realized that its spikes were not red, but a sickening white, which was obviously a sign of being unhealthy. He was surprised as well, to notice that the hobgoblin hadn’t been tainted by the human realm, but rather injured. If they could manage to save it from the disease, he could get better.

        “Jeongin, come over here, quick!” Felix exclaimed as he knelt down and tried to grab the hedgehog gently from his ankle. The hedgehog whined and looked up at Felix with wide, frightened eyes, all the while Felix shushing at him and whispering that everything would be okay. As Jeongin came beside them and took in the injured state of the hedgehog, tears gathered in his eyes. The hedgehog opened his mouth to speak, and Felix was expecting a string of melodious high-pitched sounds, but when a soft voice said _help_ he was utterly shocked, looking at Jeongin with wide eyes.

        “Jeongin, I understood what he said! How?!” Jeongin just shook his head, grabbing the hedgehog from Felix’s hands. After looking at him for a little more, Jeongin silently ran towards the house, Hyunjin and Felix following closely behind.

        Inside the kitchen, Jeongin was busy cutting up plants and pouring oils into a small cup, eyes burning with powers and he brought together the ingredients and turned them into dough with his fingers. He then proceeded to spread the dough in the opposing way in which the hedgehog’s spikes rose, covering the white with the green substance, before covering his back with a white handkerchief and then tying it gently around his stomach to keep it in place. He continued to hold the hedgehog in his arms, even as the small creature started to shiver.

        “It’s just a common hobgoblin skin disease that they get whenever they recently travel through fairy ring.”

        “But you didn’t make any recent fairy rings, did you?”

        “I didn’t, but that doesn’t mean that a fairy ring couldn’t have been opened from the Fairy Realm. Maybe this little guy got caught in it and ended up in the human realm next to our house. Since he couldn’t pass through the ward on his own, he probably got stuck outside along the human pollution. He was really lucky that he didn’t get tainted.” Hyunjin plopped down beside Jeongin while Felix proceeded to make a hot tea for all of them.

        “Would Chan allow us to keep it? I mean, it’s not as if we can just send it back to the Fairy Realm…” Jeongin thought a little before he answered.

        “Well, the hedgehog isn’t a tinted hobgoblin, so it isn’t as if he would be going around, eating at our wards or poisoning our plants, and he could help with magic around the house, so I see no problem in keeping it. Now, we just have to see if he will survive the night.”

****

        When the clock hit 5 and a half, Changbin woke up at the alarm that he had set before-hand. He scrambled up to eat something and have a shower before he walked over to the apartment across from him, knocking only twice before a giddy Jisung threw the door open, grinning at Changbin and bowing like a prince, his hand waving Changbin inside. Changbin chuckled at the other’s silly actions.

        “How do you find our humble abode?” Chan inquired as Changbin entered the living room. The other was lounging on it, watching the TV absentmindedly while twiddling with a pen between his fingers.

        “It’s…homey.” Changbin answered, for a lack of better words. Chan nodded, his eyes crinkling with a smile. Jisung was still running around from room to room, making Changbin frown at the younger’s actions. “Is Jisung okay?”

        “Jisung? Oh, yeah he is. He just can’t find his lyrics. He was so excited to show them to you that he lost his notebook somewhere, so now he is looking for it.” Unknowing to the other two, Jisung knew precisely where his notebook was, but he just couldn’t tell Chan that he had left it in his truck while traveling the other day, or the other would scold him for not paying enough attention to his stuff.

        In the end, they continued on without Jisung’s notebook, instead thinking about a new song, Matryoshka. By the pace that we were going at, they would surely release a new album quite soon.


	9. Lost Pages #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~3RACHA~~  
> Three years prior to the timeline~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe that my baby reached 1046 hits and 77 kudos!! I'm so happy!! Thank you so much for reading my story, leaving kudos and comments!! I love you so much! <3 :)))) You guys are awesome ;)

        _ **LOST PAGES #2**_

_**3RACHA** _

_**Three years prior to the timeline** _

 

        It was just like a ritual for Changbin: he left early in the morning from home, attended his first classes, and then visited the music room, opting to stay there for hours upon hours, sometimes forgetting about the classes that followed after the small free hour that they got.  He had art classes after his break, so he couldn’t be bothered with them.

        The high-school that he attended was fairly big and modern, with warm classrooms and kind teachers, although everything that mattered to Changbin was either connected to music or plants. He was glad that his aunt supported his passions.

        As soon as he entered the music room, he inhaled deeply. The sun was streaming through the windows, painting the musical instruments a golden hue, the set of drums that were shoved all the way into the back shining. Nobody used the room anymore, saying that it was too much of a hassle to move the instruments to the back all the time so students could enter, so it was turned into a music storage room instead. Changbin wouldn’t have had it any other way, since he could spend all the time he wanted in there as long as he didn’t make a mess (the words of the janitor).

        Dropping his backpack onto the ground, he fetched out his notebook and favorite pen and started to go through it, checking the last page for lyrics. He had started to produce another song that week, but his flow of inspiration dropped rock bottom because of a math test, and now he just couldn’t think of anything with which to continue the hook. He tried to rap to it underneath his breath, only ending up with a few strings of words that he didn’t think quite fit together.

        The door burst open all of a sudden, almost making Changbin fall off of the desk on which he was sitting. A boy with a surprising hair color, bluish silver, was leaning against the now closed door, his eyes peering outside as if searching, or more like hiding, from someone. He was holding a black skateboard with a red dragon on the back, dust on his knees, his vans worn out, probably because of the skateboard.

        When a teacher started to approach the music room, the mysterious boy turned around to hide under the teacher’s desk, throwing a pleading look towards Changbin, whom he had noticed only then. Changbin sighed internally. What did the boy even do?

        For the second time that day, the door was pushed open, and to Changbin’s worry, it swayed a little. Should one more person burst through the door like that, he was sure it would fall, and that would bring too much trouble.

        “Changbin? Have you seen a boy with a skateboard?” The teacher was old, with white wrinkled hair and a dusty grey suit, forehead and mouth pulled in a frown. Changbin shook his head, eyes wide as if surprised. The other boy sat silently in his hiding spot until the teacher huffed and left, exclaiming that he will _catch that rat later_ when he will get the chance.

        “What did you do to anger Mr. Wrung? He is usually a calm guy.” Changbin inquired, going back to his lyrics. He started to tap his foot against a chair, now that the agitation was gone. The boy got out from behind the desk and approached Changbin, a laugh on the tip of his tongue.

        “Might’ve skated through the teacher’s hall and over the big stairs in the central hall.” Changbin laughed at that, still not looking up from his lyrics. He had found an error in the hangul of a word and was currently scribbling away the correct form. “I’m Chan, by the way.” Changbin looked up at that, only to see that Chan was looking at what he was writing. Before he got the chance to hide the notebook, Chan was already exclaiming how he was a rapper as well and that he would love to rap with Changbin. “You rap, don’t you?” he inquired, making Changbin squirm a little uncomfortably. He was a little insecure about his rapping and didn’t like the idea of anyone hearing it.

        “I’m Changbin. I…uh…I don’t rap, I just write lyrics occasionally.” For a second, he saw disappointment and diminishing hope in Chan’s eyes, before the other smiled widely and patted Changbin’s shoulder gently.

        “Well, I’m sure that if you gave those lyrics a try, it would sound awesome. You have a melodious voice, I heard it!” Chan exclaimed, winking at Changbin before slipping away from the classroom, skateboard ready in hand for him to jump on it. Changbin followed the skater with his eyes, his mind reeling at the thought of singing in front of people.

        The lunch break bell resounded through the entire school, making Changbin get up in a hurry from his seat so that he could reach the cafeteria and buy food before it got full. In comparison to other high-schools, their cafeteria had a really good chef who prepared tasty lunches. With his backpack slung over his shoulder and cap pulled low on his head, he barely avoided a younger kid running into him with an open bottle of coca cola. He tried to go around him, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

        “Hey! You’re that guy that is always rapping in the music room! I heard you so many times while passing by, your rapping is amazing! Wanna rap with me and Bang Chan? We need one more person for this music school event and I think you would be perfect!” The hyper boy was holding Changbin by his shoulders by the time he finished speaking, all the while Changbin staring at him like a gold-fish at an XBOX. He was surprised that someone had heard him rap, even more so that the other person said they enjoyed hearing it.

        “I…uhmm…ok, let me first get some food and then we can sit down and you can tell me about this event, yeah?” The younger boy looked as if a bag of golden coins fell from the sky and he couldn’t wait to spend it all. He nodded and followed Changbin to the counter. The chef knew Changbin personally from the several hours that he spent there whenever the music room was in repairing or in use, so she smiled at Changbin kindly, asking what he wanted to buy. He got himself kimchi with rice, a mini pajeon, noodles and nori seaweed. They walked to the table closest to the windows, from where he loved to glance outside and see the little bit of nature shine in spring.

       “Ok, so, about the event?” Changbin reminded the other, starting to eat.  The boy nodded excitedly and launched in the explanation

        “Yeah! The school is organizing a music competition in which only groups can register. The minimum number of members per group is of three, and you are our best option for this. I mean, I don’t want you to feel pressured, but you’re really good and-“

        “I’m in.”

        “What?”

        “I said I’m in.” The other literally jumped up, going around the table to hug Changbin, which surprised him, since most of the high-school was scared of him for whatever reason that he didn’t know.

        “You’re a life saver!” Changbin smiled at the other’s excitement; he could almost feel it himself. The younger had been so genuine when he had said that he liked Changbin’s rapping, and combined with Chan’s reassuring words in Changbin’s mind, it led to the other thinking _I don’t have anything to lose if I try to sing in front of others, so why not give it a try._

        “I met Chan today, but who are you?” The other stared at Changbin, as if dumbfounded by the question, before he facepalmed.

        “I’m Jisung. Han Jisung. Sorry I forgot to introduce myself, I was just too excited.”

        “Yeah, I noticed.” Changbin said that with a smile, making the other, whom he assumed was younger than him, smile as well.  

After the lunch break was over, Jisung ran ahead of Changbin, exclaiming the he had Advanced Calculus and that he would be late. It took Changbin a solid minute to realize that he had the same class as well, hurrying after the boy. How did he never realize that the other was in his class? Wait, why was he in an advanced class for tenth graders? Shouldn’t he be in the ninth grade?

His questions were answered when he saw Jisung sit in the front, on the left side of the classroom. Their Calculus class was divided into two sections, those who were in the tenth grade, and those who were in the ninth. That was why the class was called Advanced, because it prepared students beforehand for the following year.

Jisung noticed Changbin’s stare, and when he turned around to look at the other, he couldn’t help but laugh at the shocked look on the other’s face. Advanced Calculus was not at all pretty, and it sucked all of Changbin’s inspiration. He knew that he would no longer be a functioning human after that class.

****

Chan was ecstatic when he found out that Changbin had agreed to rap, immediately laying out plans for when to meet and how to spread the work since they had less than a week to compose the song and create a name for themselves.

        Since Chan and Jisung lived fairly far from the high-school, they had all agreed to meet up at Changbin’s house to work on the lyrics, and since his aunt was travelling with one of her workers to Japan to sign a new contract, they had the house all to themselves.

        “Where should we write the lyrics?” Chan inquired while they were sitting around Changbin’s kitchen table. He had prepared plant tea for all of them, and was pleasantly surprised when both Chan and Jisung complimented him on his tea. It was just a combination of plants that he liked, but apparently Chan and Jisung did as well. While Changbin left the room to take a new notebook from upstairs in which they could write, Chan leaned over to Jisung.

        “You realize that this is tea made specifically for fairies, don’t you?”

        “But he doesn’t smell like a fairy! I can’t even sense whether he is anything else other than human. Maybe someone in his family is of half descent?” Jisung inquired, frowning. He had felt so comfortable whenever he was around Changbin, so he couldn’t be a demon undercover. He wasn’t a fairy, and he wasn’t a changeling either. Those always had something that remained the same whenever they changed.

        “Maybe he is a shaman? You know that they are very much capable of hiding away any sign of being a fairy.”

        “How about we test that?” Chan looked warningly at Jisung. Now was not the time to let a human know about fairies, especially not their friend. When Changbin returned from his bedroom, he frowned. He had left Jisung and Chan with two cups filled with tea, but they were nowhere to be seen.

        “Um…where are your teacups?” Jisung and Chan shared a look. If Changbin couldn’t see them under the glamour, then he surely was human. They sighed in relief. Maybe he had just made the tea out of instinct with those specific plants, since humans with an affinity for magic tended to do stuff like that.

        “We drank the tea and then washed them up and placed them back from where you took them.” Jisung exclaimed with a wink, making Changbin’s frown lessen. The other then extended a notebook towards them, his eyes not really following it, as if he was afraid of their response.  Chan recognized said notebook from when he first met Changbin in the music room. He grabbed it gently from between the other’s fingers, before he started to flip through it, Jisung running over to his side, excited to read the lyrics as well and not just listen to them.

        Changbin started to tap his leg nervously as he sat in his chair, next to Chan. They were taking a long time to read through the lyrics, the smile that they had a few minutes ago having turned into something more serious. After five more torturous minutes, Chan looked up from the lyrics while Jisung fell into the chair next to his, eyes glazed a bit over.

        “Changbin, this…why did you never rap before? What made you change your mind?” Chan inquired, shaking his head a little as if getting rid of a stray thought. Changbin scratched the back of his neck anxiously.

        “Well, my school profile is supposed to lead me towards bureaucracy, despite the fact that I prefer plants and music over stupid papers that destroy human lives. It’s just that, I never found it in me to rap in front of others, because I always thought that it was bad, but then Jisung said that he had heard me on numerous occasions and that it sounded good, so I thought that I had nothing to lose by finally doing what I love. Plus, your advice regarding my voice also helped me decide.” Changbin explained, his cheeks burning a little with the excitement of finally saying it out loud. He loved rapping, and would now actually get to do so.

        “You know, at first I didn’t even believe that I was fit to rap.” Jisung began, interrupting Chan, as he wanted to say something to Changbin. Both he and Changbin turned to look at Jisung, who was now fiddling with his pen. Chan remembered the time when they were still in the fairy realm and Jisung, along with Felix and Jeongin, used to sing at every party that was held in the Great Chambers. “I used to sing in a group with two other friends, but then, I heard you rap in 9th grade, while I was rushing for my entry exam, and simply loved it. It motivated me to try something different, and when Chan heard me rap, he came with the idea of joining the show. I was sure you were the perfect option for us.” Chan was surprised. He had never heard that story before from Jisung. He had simply thought that the other decided to try a new style, and not that he was motivated to as well. Changbin was staring at Jisung with wide, unbelieving eyes.

        “You mean to say…that I motivated you to rap?” Jisung nodded, a wide grin on his lips. He really enjoyed the way the other rapped, so he couldn’t wait for Changbin to grow confident in his rapping. He was sure the other could wreak every single heart on earth with his voice.

        “Well, I started rapping because I found it to be the perfect way to get rid of strong emotions and just clear my head, y’know? Plus, I love to create foundations for songs and then twist them to fit a rap perfectly.” Chan continued next, making Jisung wonder when the sappy story time started to happen. It had probably started from him.

        Their conversations continued, ranging from school subjects and how some were truly awful, like Advanced Calculus, to how Chan was a senior and a skateboarder. He liked to hang out at the skating park behind the high-school and write lyrics there whenever he got inspired. Jisung preferred the library, since it was really quiet. Changbin didn’t really get how Jisung was even allowed in the library, what with how loud the other was.

        “I never saw you before in school, though.” Changbin said, directing his question towards Chan. The other looked at him funnily at that.

        “I have common art classes with the tenth grade.” Ah. That was why.

       “Well, I skip those classes.” Jisung got up at that, enraged.

        “And you don’t get any notices?!”

        “The teacher knows where I go all the time, so no.” Changbin grinned at the younger’s betrayed look. Jisung sat back down and huffed, looking as if he wanted to turn around from them. Chan just patted his back, hiding a laugh. He himself never got a notice, and the teacher never knew where he went. Jisung just wasn’t good at skipping.

****

The next day of school, they met together in the cafeteria to discuss what type of style they should go for. Changbin’s morning classes were tiring for him on Tuesday’s, so he couldn’t wait to get rid of them. That day, instead of skipping the art classes, he stayed. He sat down in front of one of the canvases that was empty and stared, not really knowing what to paint. He had in mind the image of a rosemary plant with blooming flowers, but he didn’t quite know from where to start. He picked up his brush and started to paint the green stem of the plant, adding shadows along the way, until the teacher entered the class, followed by two other students, one of them being Chan. The teacher was surprised to see Changbin in her class, but said nothing.

As Chan walked over to his seat, Changbin realized that he had unknowingly taken a seat right next to the other. In front of Chan’s seat, there was a covered canvas, meaning that the work was still undergoing.

        “I see you chose not to skip anymore, ey?” Chan remarked, sending a smile towards Changbin. He was rather surprised to see the other in the art class, even more so when he saw the beginning of what he assumed to be a rosemary plant. Changbin nodded at him. He himself was not sure of attending the class, until the bell rung. Changbin didn’t have many friends in high-school, and it wasn’t as if he really needed any, but he was glad to have met Chan and Jisung. The way the older seemed to worry about Jisung and Changbin, and how Jisung was always energetic and active, it amazed Changbin to no end.

        When Changbin took a break from his work to ask Chan about their next meeting at the café just around the corner, he froze, eyes glued to Chan’s painting: the scenery was unique, as if taken out from a fantasy book, the greenery almost alien-like, with bioluminescent plants and plants that seemed to shine in the sun; in the middle of the painting stood a boy with curled, golden hair, freckles dusting his cheeks, and lips pulled in a soft, gentle smile; he was sitting on the ground, legs underneath him and hands outstretched as if to catch droplets of rain, the sun mingling with the golden light that seemed to reflect off the boy’s wings, wings that seemed to fold into themselves calmly, black outlining intricate golden doily patterns.

        “Who is he?” Changbin felt the question leave his mouth before he got to stop it. He immediately jumped when he realized that he had spoken out-loud, wanting to apologize for peeking, but Chan simply shook his head, a gentle look in his eyes.

        “He’s someone dear to me.” The conversation stopped at that, Changbin returning his full attention back on the painting at hand, the rosemary flowers coming to life underneath Changbin’s brush.

        When their classes were over, they all headed to Changbin’s house, where Chan excitedly took out his laptop and started to play the tracks that he had found interesting for their choice of song: dark and mysterious. At a certain point, Changbin heard something from the kitchen as he was filling his glass with water, making him hurry back to the living room where they were sitting around the glass coffee table.

        “This one has dark vibes, I like it!” Chan nods excitedly, saying that he thought so as well. With quick mouse clicks, Chan saved away the track so he could sharpen the sounds in the beginning and smooth out the rest. Jisung was still with his head in his notebook, only taking it out when Changbin entered the living room.

        “Binnie. Dark Binnie. Dark Baby!” Jisung muttered underneath his breath, but Changbin still heard him, making Jisung jump away from the table when the other got up with a pillow to chase after him. Jisung shrieked as he ran towards the kitchen, Changbin hot on his tail, leaving Chan to stare after them dumbfounded. When Changbin finally managed to trip Jisung into the soft carpet, he started to beat the other with the fluffy pillow, all the while saying that he wasn’t _‘a_ _baby’_ and that Jisung should respect his _‘elders’_. At that final sentence, Chan couldn’t help but start to laugh loudly, the irony behind the situation getting the best out of him.

        At one point, Jisung started to play music from his phone after he recovered from the brutal pillow fight, among the songs a familiar one that Changbin loved to practice his rapping with.

        They all started to rap together, the music loud, bass booming while they moved around the living room, lips pulled into a grin and hands moving wildly. They had marked that day off of the writing schedule, instead spending time to have fun. At one point, Chan started talking about his senior life and how exams were awful, while Jisung and Changbin complained about their Chemistry teacher, only then realizing that they both had the same hag that never checked homework and then called just one student to her: the student had the homework, all good; the student didn’t have the homework, quiz to everyone. It was hard to judge anyone in that class for not doing their homework, when all the old teacher did was preach life and scold politicians in class.

****

        On Wednesday, they stayed up until late in the night, around two am even going outside to visit a convenience store so they could get some food into their systems. The store wasn’t too far away from Changbin’s house, so they got there in no time. It was empty, save for the worker who stared at them weirdly, as if to say _‘why the heck are you up at this hour? You should sleep while you can’_.While they were walking through the aisles to find some packages of ramen, they heard Jisung exclaim all of a sudden. Both Chan and Changbin turned around as fast as possible, worried that something had happened to the younger, only for them to find Jisung with a red bottle in his arms, eyes wide and excited.

        “I’ve got it!” He exclaimed while approaching his other two partners. “Here!” The red bottle was shoved in their faces, both stepping backwards so they could see it clearly. _Sriracha Sauce._ They still didn’t get why Jisung was so excited over a sausce.

        “This is what you want to eat?” Chan inquired, his cut eyebrow quirked a little upwards, while Changbin was still staring at the bottle, his eyes searching. There must’ve been a reason why the other was so excited. _What would I think if I were Jisung?_

        “Our name!” Both Jisung and Changbin shouted at once, making Chan actually jump from their loud, perfectly synchronized voices. “Sriracha! Just like the sauce! It’s hot and tastes awesome, and it’s also spicy! And we spit fire whenever we rap together, so why not?!” Jisung explained, Changbin nodding accordingly. They shared a high-five, Jisung proud that Changbin understood what he had meant, even if after a few seconds.

        “Although, we could change the name a little and instead of Sriracha, we could say 3Racha.”

        “With all caps?”

        “Could work as well.”

        “So?” They asked, both turning to their leader, grins equally wide. Chan felt his heart bloom with pride as he saw his two members become so excited over their new name. It had been only three days since they got together to write the lyrics, and yet it felt as if they had been together for years, his leader tendencies bringing the best out of him. Friendships like that weren’t found everywhere, Chan knew; years upon years, he’s had friends, but none were as true as Changbin, nor did he have a connection as good as this one.

        “Yeah, it’s amazing. You’re awesome for finding that name!”

        “That’s our Jisungie!” Changbin exclaimed, passing a hand over the younger’s shoulders and pulling him down at his level, eyes shining with joy. Jisung laughed, holding Changbin’s arm while the other ruffled his hair.

        They paid for a bottle of sauce and a few packages of ramen, apologizing to the cashier as well, for the noise that they made so late into the night.

****

        Changbin was sitting in math quietly, frowning at the equation that the teacher was writing on the table. In the morning, he had found Jisung missing, probably skipping school, while Chan was nowhere either.

        Just as he was about to start and copy the equation down, he saw movement behind the door to their classroom. Someone was crouching, in hopes of remaining unnoticed by the teacher. When they saw that Changbin was looking, they started to move their hands widely. _Chan?!_ Changbin did a double take, his eyes comically wide with both shock and surprise. What was Chan doing out of his classroom, at Changbin’s, and waving like a mad-man?

        When the teacher turned around to start explaining the equation, Changbin instantly looked down at his paper while Chan hid from view. He scribbled the rest of the equation down and tried to pay attention, but then the teacher turned around again, and Chan was back at the door, making hand motions for Changbin to get out of the classroom and follow him. Changbin shook his head at him inquiringly, eyebrows furrowed. When he didn’t get any specific answer from the other, he gave up and started to pack his things quickly. Everyone around him had been watching the interaction, but no one said a word, just looked from Chan to Changbin and then back again. While the teacher was still facing the blackboard, white chalk following her hand on the surface, he hoisted his backpack over his shoulder and ran towards the open window, jumping outside without a second thought. It was Friday after all, so it wouldn’t be doing too much damage if he skipped. Behind him, everyone from his classroom roared, hands clapping loudly and laughs booming. A grin found its way on his face from all the adrenaline as he ran towards the park behind the high-school. There, he found Chan and Jisung talking with amusement on their faces, and when Changbin showed up, they ran towards him, Jisung clapping him on the back.

        “Dude, I was trying to tell you to ask your teacher to allow you to leave, not for you to jump out through the window!” Chan exclaimed seriously, trying to keep from laughing, but in the end they all broke, laughter filling the empty cement park.

        “What happened that made you call me out, then!?”

        “I finished the song. Recording, melodic line, arrangements, everything. It’s ready for us.” Chan explained, his eyes proud. Jisung was nodding along with Chan’s words. He had probably been there while the other worked.

        They hurried to Changbin’s house so they could blast the song through his speakers, all three rapping along their lines and practicing the stage movement for hours. They were done by the time the sun rose, the stray rays searching for humans and instead finding sleeping beauties spread across the floor, paper around them and laptop opened a few feet away. The show was late into the Saturday night, 3RACHA being the first to perform. Jisung was the one to wake up an hour before the show, eyes wide into the darkness of the living room and shining a fiery orange when he couldn’t read the clock on the wall. He was lucky Changbin was deep in his sleep and didn’t notice him move, or his eyes.

        “GUYS! WAKE UP!” Jisung shouted, hurrying to gather the papers and pull the disc out of Chan’s laptop, storing it in a plastic cover and placing it in the front pocket of his backpack. Chan and Changbin jumped up as if burned, almost knocking each other back onto the ground. It didn’t take long for them to get dressed and ready.

        The show was hosted in a downtown club, and by the time they got there, the space was full with students. The crowd was moving as one, dancing to the song that was blasting currently through the speakers.

        Backstage, Changbin started to feel nervous. He wiped his sweaty hands on a towel and then dabbed at his neck softly, his body feeling hot, as if all the nervous ends in his body were short-circuited. Chan, having sensed the nervousness and agitation in Changbin, walked towards him, warm smile on his lips.

        “Hey, I know you’ll do great. I’m sure of it. We practiced a lot, and you’re voice is naturally good for rapping, so you shouldn’t worry. Just remember the steps and make sure you have a good grip on the mic so you won’t drop it, alright?” Changbin nodded, allowing Chan to ruffle his hair before he left to find Jisung and probably give him an encouraging speech as well. He liked that about Chan. The other was a born leader and a great friend.

        “Hello everyone! Welcome to the third _Bleeding_ _Microphones_ annual competition! Who is ready for this stage to rumble with music?!” The crowd roared, making the level of adrenaline in the boys rise. Feeling a little more relaxed, Changbin shared a crazed grin with Chan and Jisung.

        “I want you to welcome warmly 3! RACHAAA!” The man shouted, voice filling the club. The crowd shouted in excitement, urging the first group to join them on the stage. Inhaling deeply, Changbin stepped on the stage. He didn’t remember much; when his time to rap had come, he remembered not feeling tense at all, even looking confidently in the eyes of those in the crowd, voice adding adlibs along the song.

        There were other groups that performed as well after them, but Changbin was still running high on adrenaline, waiting for the end when the winner was announced. Chan was bouncing next to him nervously as well, while Jisung was simply clinging to Changbin’s arm, eyes taking in the performances.

        “And now, for the winner of this year…drum rolls please…’Intro’ by 3RACHA!!!!” He heard his heartbeat in his ears. Chan jumped high in the air, fist raised and voice loud, before he took both Changbin and Jisung in a group hug. The two were still in shock, not believing that they had actually won. They jumped up on the stage and grabbed the trophy, and holding hands together, they raised it in the air, the crowd and even the other groups that performed roaring and whistling.

        They went away afterwards, hanging out at the skating park with bottles of coca cola in their backpacks and satisfied smiles on their faces. They had fun together, celebrating their success. At one point, Chan suggested that Changbin tried skating, both he and Jisung being surprised when Changbin started to skate expertly and kick-flip Chan’s board.

        “Binnie! I didn’t know you were skating!”

        “You never asked.” Changbin remarked with a grin, making Chan shake his head incredulously at his friend.

        “You betrayed me!” He whined dramatically, making Jisung laugh. Changbin just flipped his imaginary long hair and sat down next to Jisung, the other laughing even harder at their display. “As a punishment for your betrayal, you shall accompany me with thy skateboard!” Chan said in a high pitched voice that sounded eerily like a little girl’s.

        They headed back to their homes late in the morning, and when Changbin got home, instead of finishing his work for Calculus, he put on repeat Intro and stared at his ceiling from his bed, still not believing that he had rapped in front of a whole crowd, produced a song, and found two friends that he was sure wouldn’t never leave him. They understood him so well that he was sometimes scared of how see-through he was to them.

        Come Monday morning, Changbin was already fired up with new lyrics that he had written as soon as he had woken up, lyrics that he couldn’t wait to discuss about with Chan and Jisung.

They were going to go to another party later that week, but this time, just to have fun together.


	10. Lost pages #3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chan gets into a brawl with a dark fairy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, this lost page wasn't in plan, but i needed it in order to prepare the next chapter, since you all needed to know first from where Chan and Minho know each other and how Chan got his black sclera. Enjoy XDD

**_Lost Pages #3_ **

**_Chan’s Curse_ **

**_70 years prior to the exile, 180 years prior to the main timeline._ **

****

The temperatures were below freezing, the cold seeping in his bones like a shadow slithering after a person. The snow underneath his feet was scrunching with his every step, the sound of cars driving and honking filling the night.

        Without having a certain direction, he had gone to the human realm to waste some time away while Felix was gone to visit his relatives beyond The Veil, underneath the Crystal Caverns. Felix had told him not to leave to the human realm while he was away, or to at least take someone else with, but a simple strong hug from the other and a gentle peck was enough for Felix to roll his eyes and swat his hands away, exclaiming that he still had to pack and get ready.

        As Chan kept on wandering through the streets, he came by an underground club entitled _Reier._ He recognized the name, and it meant no good business. The Reier line of clubs were under the reins of a strong demon that always kept himself hidden, which meant that dark fairies and other creatures always loitered around in there. Chan hesitated for a second, his mind reeling back to Felix’s warning, but then he saw a familiar face enter the club, a witch that used to provide information for the fairies that traveled onto earth. Maybe he could take this opportunity and request the plans for the second demon camp in the south that his father needed. Tossing away his sense of hesitation, that would’ve probably saved him from what was to happen later, he followed after the witch.

        The club was shaking from the powerful music, the floor vibrating, the masses of bodies swaying from side to side, all pressed together. Chan couldn’t help but scrunch his nose at the horrible stench of blood and sweat that seemed to cover the dance floor.

        A hand suddenly touched his forearm, sharp nails dancing across his bicep. He turned around sharply and wrenched his hand away from the witch that was now grinning slyly at him. Hwang Yeji was a strong witch, but the fact that she led to the death of several warrior fairies because she offered the wrong information still stuck with Chan, making him hate her with a passion. He wasn’t going to tell her that, though, seeing as she was head’s over heels for him and he needed information.

        “Aww, is that boy still on your mind, Channie?” Yeji asked, her smile widening when Chan glared at her. He hated it when she started to speak about Felix like a weak warrior, when the other had saved Chan’s life on several occasions while on the battlefield. She had never met Felix, and he was intending on keeping it that way.

        “I came in here to request something for my father. He will offer the payment.” Chan said, pretending to go around what she had said earlier. That didn’t go unnoticed by Yeji, but she had the decency to drop the subject.

        “What does your father need?”

        “He needs the plans for the second demon camp all the way in south. Think you can get them?” Yeji frowned for a solid minute until she nodded, her eyes shining red in the club light. Her raven black hair was pulled away from her face with a black metallic bandana that Chan was sure contained several runes meant to hide her from any unknowing eye. Despite Yeji’s tries to engage Chan more in a conversation, he stepped away from her and started to head towards the exit, only for a dancer to bump into him. When Chan turned around, he saw dark blue eyes against black sclera staring right at him.

       “How dare you bump into me?! I challenge you to a fight, right here, right now!” The dark fairy shouted, making everyone that was still dancing stop and stare at who dared to disturb their fight. Chan sighed internally. He was sure that Felix was going to skin him alive for this.

        Going towards the dark fairy, Chan cracked his knuckles, his neck popping as he moved it from side to side. The others present in the club moved to the side, forming a large enough circle around them. Yeji was still in the club, perched against the bar so she could see better. Malice was shining in her eyes, though Chan couldn’t guess whether against him, the dark fairy, or both.

        The dark fairy tried to swing at Chan, but years on the battlefield gave him sharp senses, making him immediately move out of the way and behind the other, elbow falling against the bare back of his neck. The dark fairy stumbled forward while Chan circled around him. He turned around furiously, eyes blazing and fists tightened. He ran towards Chan again, this time attempting to knee him in the stomach. Chan foresaw that as well, stopping his leg with his hands and then side-kicking him in his ribs, other hand punching him across the jaw. The crowd started to laugh as the other swayed and almost fell to the ground.

        The silly, amateur-like hits continued from the dark fairy, all the while Chan either avoiding them or hitting back with precise moves. At one point, the dark fairy fell on the ground, and Chan allowed himself to grin. It was his biggest mistake. A black tail that materialized out of nowhere from the dark fairies’ body swiped at his feet, making him fall on his back. The dark fairy was up on his feet faster than Chan could register, hands extended forward.

        “You dared humiliate me and mock me…I shall curse you bastard!” Dark fumes started to gather around the two of them, Chan feeling his skin burn from them. He started to cough, his lungs and core feeling as if on fire, as well as his eyes and hands. He saw the fairy approach him, lizard-like eyes glinting in the darkness, skin almost dark blue in color, eyebrows pulled sharply in a crazed expression, hands closing in rapidly on his forehead with black fire burning underneath them.

        Something fell down over the fingers that were a millimeter away from touching Chan, a sickening crunching sound following. He saw the fingers of the dark fairy bend at odd angles, making him scream in pain. Someone stepped in between them, dark cloak swishing with the other’s body movements. Silence fell upon everyone while the mysterious person sighed and knocked into the ground a…metal staff. A shaman. Chan couldn’t believe his luck. He tried to keep his eyes opened for longer, but the poisonous fumes were slowly getting to him. He heard the shaman whisper something before the sound of something wet and heavy hit the ground. He heard the crowd gasp. While he fell onto the ground, he saw what pieces remained visible of the dark fairy in a pool of dark blood.

****

        Minho had been wandering around the club for the last twenty minutes, trying to find a bathroom and not get noticed by any of the dark fairies around. The last thing that he needed was to make a scene again, or have to kill someone else. He caught the eyes of a witch as he started to walk towards the exit, eyes that turned afterwards to a fight that was taking place in a circle formed by the crowd in the middle of the floor. A dark fairy was fighting with a warrior fairy, and it looked like a child’s play, the dark fairy barely hitting the other. Pulling his hood even deeper on his face, Minho stepped closer to the fight to watch everything better.

        When the dark fairy swept the other off of his feet, Minho froze. The dark fairy was a lizard, a type of dark fairy with strong curses. When he saw the black fumes gather around the warrior fairy and the dark fairy approach the other with slithering movements, he ran forwards, summoning his staff and ramming it against the other’s hands, fingers cracking underneath his strength. The dark fairy stumbled backwards with a pained cry, making way for Minho to step between him and the warrior fairy.

        _“From bones and blood you came, to heaps of flesh you shall return.”_ His voice, merely a whisper, ran across the room, piercing thorough the dark fairy like a rock through water. The dark fairy fell on the ground before Minho’s cold eyes, body pieces laying in the quickly cooling dark blood. There was steam rising from the floor now, the remains of the dark fairy turning slowly into ash. Minho turned around when he heard a body fall onto the floor, only for him to find the warrior fairy passed out.

        He hurried to the other’s side, leaning down and pressing his hand against the fairies’ forehead. It felt hot to the touch. The other was breathing heavily and there were dark veins going from underneath his eyes and down on his throat. He was sweating profusely, muscles tensed.

        Minho cursed underneath his breath and leaned forward to grab the other around the waist so he could get him up and walking, or at least to make it easier for him to carry the other. He started to walk slowly towards the exit, the witch waiting there.

        “Do you-“She started off in a sickeningly sweet voice, making Minho sneer at her, eyes blazing with the colors of the Caribbean Sea, black patterns coiling around the sides of his neck.

        “Back off.” Minho hissed, making the witch scramble out of his way. He gripped the warrior fairy tighter and then stepped outside, as soon as he was free from the club whipping out his staff and dragging it across the ground in order to create a circle. When the circle was complete, Minho thought about the closest hotel and then knocked the staff against the ground. He felt himself sway a little, and when he opened his eyes, they were in a hotel room, the lights shut and the blinds pulled up to reveal the full moon outside. All the better for him since he could steal some power away from the full moon.

        He hurried towards the bed and dropped the warrior fairy down, careful when the other hissed in pain. Minho hurried to open the lights and then threw his cloak aside, his staff gripped tightly in his hand.  He sat down on the side of the bed, leaning his staff against the nightstand and instantly pulling the fairies’ eyelids open, cursing when he saw the black sclera around the amber iris. He used a knife from his left pocket to cut open the other’s shirt, feeling his heartbeat rise when he saw the dark veins quickly closing in on the spot where the other’s core should be, close to his belly button. Minho cut open his palm and dabbed two fingers in the fresh blood, spreading symbols across the other’s chest and stomach, the veins stopping their advance for a few seconds. That was all that Minho needed, because his next step was to get up and drag his palm over the crystal that sat atop the staff before he pushed it against the strong muscles that lined the other’s chest and stomach.

        _“Thy curse is strong, my blood is stronger. Thy body is weakened, my will is stronger. Tie this blood with thee curse and knit them tightly. Overflow.”_ As soon as he ended the rite, he felt his staff thrum with energy. The warrior fairy tensed up, before an ear piercing growled scream ripped from his throat as the black veins retreated, disappearing completely from the other’s skin. The powerful light that his staff had been emitting died down, allowing him to open his eyes widely to glance at the fairy. He was breathing better now, his chest rhythmically rising and falling. His skin was a worrying shade of red, and when Minho placed a hand against his neck, he felt him burning. It was normal to enter a fever after having a curse removed, although the hallucinations and the burn-out didn’t begin until after a few hours. Minho fell on his knees, the strength leaving him all of a sudden. He felt something warm trickle down his nose, and when he wiped it with the back of his hand, he saw red smeared over his pale skin. He was so tired and bleeding…he needed to sleep a little. His head lolled to the side against the bed, knocked out.

****

        He was back in the fairy realm, hanging outside with Felix and Hyunjin against the base of a large tree, their tree house that they had built a long time ago resting abandoned for the time being. Hyunjin was practicing air magic, while he and Felix were leaning with their backs against the trunk, fingers interlocked, Felix’s head lolled to the side, face hidden in Chan’s neck as he slept peacefully. Chan could feel the burning, hot fire underneath Felix’s skin heat him up, but he enjoyed it to no end. In the fairy realm, Felix always had a higher body temperature than any other fire fairy he ever met.

        The scenery shifted, and he was no longer next to Felix, but a few feet away from him, Yeji standing behind Felix with a metal claw right against the younger’s throat. Chan wanted to scream, to thrash away and run towards Felix, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe, and then the claw moved and blood was splattered onto the ground.

        “Felix!” He jumped up, and only then realized that he was, in fact, still in the human realm, in a bed, with his shirt cut open. He looked around, confused and burning, until his eyes lay upon a sleeping form next to the bed. He saw a staff lolled to the side of the bed, the shaman’s fingers clasped loosely around it. He tried to move and get up from the bed without success, instead waking up the pale shaman.

        “Oh my…you finally woke up.” His voice was soft, with a not too heavy accent. He was looking at Chan with wide eyes, hands clasping at the bed sheets. He was looking even paler now, and when Chan opened his mouth to speak, the shaman hurried to the bathroom, emptying his stomach into the toilet. Chan tried to hurry after the other to help him whichever way he could, but he felt dizzy when he succeeded to get up, instantly making him gravitate back towards the bed. He heard the toilet flush and the sink run, before the shaman returned inside.

        “I’m sorry about that. It’s just that…after trying to absorb a curse, my body reacts quite…strongly. I’m fine now.” Chan nodded, eyes still closed as he could feel the room still spinning. He heard footsteps approach him before he felt two hands against his knees. The shaman had probably sat down in front of him at the foot of the bed. “You okay? The curse was very strong; it would’ve killed you if I wouldn’t have been there. What were you even doing in a Reier club full of dark fairies? You’re still burning.” The shaman said, placing a hand against Chan’s forehead for the third time that day. Chan tried to open his eyes, only for the light to burn them, making him immediately close them again. He heard the shaman gasp. “Open your eyes! Now!” Chan tried to do as told, forcing his eyes open. He could see the shaman look at him with wide eyes, eyes that soon glazed over with tears. “I’m so sorry. I tried to expel the entire curse but I was too late to destroy it completely. I’m so sorry.” The shaman spoke, making Chan frown. He got up and held himself against the walls to walk towards the bathroom. When he looked into the mirror, he froze. His eyes, eyes that were normally white and amber, were now dark and amber, his sclera looking the same as a dark fairies’.

        “It’s okay.” Chan spoke softly, making the shaman look up from where he was still sitting on the floor, tears streaming down his face. “You said so yourself earlier, the curse would’ve killed me. I treasure my life more over the color of my eyes.” Chan slowly approached the shaman. “For real, thank you for being there and saving me.” He crouched down, extending his hand and then stopping, thinking if he was being too direct, before he decided upon placing his hand on the other’s shoulder, pulling him into a soft hug. The other hugged Chan back the same way, a pained sigh leaving his throat.

        “Still, I’m sorry for not expelling the entire curse. I should’ve been stronger.” Chan inhaled deeply and patted the shaman on the back of his head.

        “My name’s Bang Chan.” Chan introduced himself after the shaman fully recovered; now they were sitting on the bed while Chan cleaned himself of the other’s blood with a wet cloth.

        “I’m Minho. Lee Minho.” Chan froze with his movements. He looked up at Minho, only to see that the other was specifically avoiding his gaze.

        “You’re Lee Minho?!  _The_ Lee Minho from the Great War almost 700 years ago?!” Minho cringed at that. He didn’t want to be reminded of how he got to be on earth, nor about what had happened almost 700 years ago. “Honestly, I think I know why you are avoiding my gaze. I’m sure you weren’t the one at fault.”

        “Please…let’s not speak of that.” Minho requested, his eyes closed. Chan stared at him for a little, before he sighed and nodded, leaning back onto the bed.

        “Felix is going to kill me.” Minho looked curiously at Chan.

        “Who is this Felix? I heard you scream for him during the hallucinations.” Chan felt himself blush a little.

        “Felix is my partner.” Minho’s eyes widened, before he laughed.

        “And why is he going to kill you?”

        “Because he told me not to come to the human realm alone, or at least come back safely. Fucked up both requests.” Chan exhaled painfully, his eyebrows pulled in a frown. “He’s gonna be so disappointed with me.”

        “Hey, I’m sure he would understand. It wasn’t your fault after all.” Chan looked at Minho, only to see that the other was already watching him, as if waiting for a confirmation.

        “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

        “When do you need to get back home?”

        “Around the morning? Which would be in about an hour. Why?”

        “Well, I could lead you to a recently opened portal. That way you would travel faster.” Chan got up and took his jacket over the ripped shirt, thanking Minho a thousand times for the help. The other simply smiled and ruffled Chan’s hair, leading the way outside.

        At the portal, Chan turned around to say something to Minho, but he didn’t know what to say. See you again? Take care? Be safe?

        “We’ll meet again. You’re welcome. Now go.” Minho answered all of his questions as if he read his mind, and then pushed Chan through the portal.

        Back in the fairy realm, Chan spent his time with Olivia while she attended her nursing fairy courses, until Felix came back with Rachel and Hyunjin.

        When Felix came back, he hugged Chan tightly, nose hiding in his fluffy silver hair and inhaling deeply. Chan’s hold around the other’s waist tightened as well, only now realizing how close he was to dying and losing the other. He shared all of his worry and apology through a kiss, making Felix look at him worriedly afterwards, eyes asking thousands of questions.

        The first time Felix saw his new eyes, almost a month after he came back, Chan simply said that it was a new addition to a spell that he learned to make his eyes stronger, a spell that he forgot after using. Felix had frowned at him, most likely not believing him, but still choosing to not push for a clear answer.


	11. First Day at KOA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed update, but i was sick and couldnt really focus on writing. Here, the longest chapter yet, part 1

**_After three weeks_ **

****

        After several more times meeting up, 3RACHA finally produced and recorded two more songs that they completed their third album with, HORIZON. A song that Changbin was really proud of was For You, since the song was really bright and had a supportive message to all those that were listening to them.

 

**_Late Morning: Changbin_ **

****

        He felt quite nervous, since today was the day university started. He had talked with Chan, the older telling him that he would be having morning classes, while Felix and Jeongin would be having afternoon classes with Changbin. It wasn’t as if he was nervous about the teachers or the subjects, but more about who would be his classmates and about the odd schedule. On Mondays and Thursdays, he had afternoon classes, while Minho and Seungmin had morning classes. Then on Tuesday and Friday, they had morning classes together, on Friday afternoon being the Mythology course. On Wednesday, they all had afternoon classes together. It was quite hard for Changbin, Minho and Seungmin to find just the perfect schedule for them to attend classes and also take care of their shifts, but in the end, on Monday and Thursday, Changbin had the morning shift and the afternoon one on Friday after the mythology course, while Minho and Seungmin had the afternoon shift on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and the morning shift on Wednesday. To fill in the shifts when they had classes together, Siege had searched for two more students whom Changbin knew only by name: Bambam and Yugyeom. They had the morning shifts on Tuesday and Friday, and the afternoon shift on Wednesday. On Friday, when apparently all of them attended Woojin’s course, Siege had agreed upon closing the café for two hours until Changbin was free again. Why wouldn’t he agree when the profit broke over the normal quota after Changbin, Minho, Seungmin, Bambam and Yugyeom got hired there.

        The café was almost deserted in the morning, so Changbin took his time with the introduction course that he was supposed to read before the first class. In the course, the utensils that he would be using were described, the plants with which he would be working throughout the year, and there was a map of the university attached onto the back. The course was quite thick, so it took Changbin almost the entire morning to go through it, Siege commenting on what a diligent student he was.

        When the bell above the door rang, signaling a new customer, Changbin looked up from his position of half-way leaning against the marble counter with his elbows on the course so he could read it. Upon looking up, Changbin was greeted with a familiar face that he wasn’t expecting to see until classes started, if they were in the same class. Felix’s eyes were equally wide and startled.

        “You!” Their voices echoed through the café together, mingled as one.

****

**_Early Morning: Felix_ **

        Felix was awake even before Jeongin burst into his room and jumped on his bed to wake him up. The other was full of energy, while Felix wanted to do nothing more than just go back to sleep.

        “Come on Sleeping Beauty! Or else, there will be no more breakfast for you.” Groaning, Felix turned from one side to the other, slapping his pillow over his head to muffle Jeongin’s raised voice. He wasn’t supposed to go to classes yet, having afternoon ones, but Chan always got up early, and since him, Jisung and Hyunjin had morning classes, the other had probably made breakfast for everyone before he left. He knew that if one of the other fairies approached the kitchen, the result would be a devastating one filled with fire and burnt walls. He especially needed to keep Felix and Hyunjin away from the kitchen.

        When  Jeongin saw Felix fall back asleep, he sighed heavily and resorted to his last option.

        “Hyunjin! Felix won’t wake up!” Felix’s eyes burst open, his muscles tensing as he pushed Jeongin away from him and ran out of the bed, hands ready to fight, his flight senses urging him to jump out the window. He hated Hyunjin’s methods of waking someone up, even more so when they involved cold water or ice. Jeongin was almost collapsing on the bed from how hard he was laughing. “I’m kidding! Hah..ahh…You should’ve seen your face! Hyunjin left for his classes about ten minutes ago.” Felix’s face was red by the time Jeongin finished talking, annoyed that he had fallen for Jeongin’s foxy tricks again. No matter how many times he would be doing that to him, he would still fall for it. For Felix, it was better to fall in Jeongin’s trap and later find out that Hyunjin was not around, than for him to not get up and discover that Hyunjin was, indeed, at home.

        Dragging himself with slow movements towards the kitchen, he rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear his blurry sight. The apartment had been long since finished, the common walls painted a light green, the curtains to the living room a dark brown. The floors were covered with soft rugs so they could walk around shoeless, just the way they did at home. The office room that they had been given was now filled almost to the brim, strategically, with flowers. Some were stacked on metal shelves and nailed to the wall, while others were placed directly onto the ground, to heavy and tall to be placed anywhere else. There were even some pots hung from the ceiling, pink and mauve flowers unfolding down like a curtain through the green vines. In the middle of the room, there was a large table with a few notebooks still opened. Jeongin had left them there since yesterday after he spent the whole night studying the roots of a belladonna plant. Felix loved spending time with the other in the office room, since that was the only room that resembled their house the most. Jeongin never commented on the other’s presence, always including him in his studies and requesting help from the other.

        The kitchen was clear of any color, except for the cream furniture and grey fridge. The walls were completely white, the tiles on the floor white with grey lines, and the plates white as well. Chan liked the color, always saying that white inspired his dishes when cooking. Jisung and Chan were already eating by the time Felix and Jeongin sat down, Hyunjin nowhere to be seen.

        “Mornin’. Why did Hyunjin leave already?” Felix inquired, grabbing his fork and stabbing a few mashed potatoes. Chan munched faster on his food so he could answer.

        “He has early introduction classes, in which they should go through the introduction courses regarding security, utensils and other stuff like that.”

        “Don’t we need to do that as well?”

        “Not necessarily. We received the introduction manual beforehand, while those that go to History & Geology need to go through it with their teacher; they need to get accustomed to the machines in the workshop and other stuff as well.”

        “That means I’ll be leaving earlier as well, right?” Jeongin asked, almost done with his breakfast. Felix gaped at how fast the younger was. Chan nodded, getting up and taking Jisung’s plate with him to wash them. Felix’s fork hit something harder, and from the looks of it, it was…meat?

        “Since when are we eating meat?”

        “Well, I thought you should get used to the human food, since we will probably need to eat in the cafeteria and I don’t want you going around to eat stuff that you do not know or like. Try it and tell me. To my taste, I think it’s good enough.”

        Felix heeded Chan’s request and stabbed the piece of meat harder, bringing it to his mouth and chewing slowly. The texture was quite hard, but the juice in the piece compensated for it. The salt wasn’t too much in quantity, nor the fat, but the income of proteins made Felix frown a little. There were also some weird chemicals that he deemed inoffensive in the meat, but other than that, it was acceptable, like Chan had said.

        “Yeah, it’s okay, I guess.” Chan hummed, already moving out of the kitchen to get his jacket and bag. Jisung sighed, bags underneath his eyes, and got up as well. He started to follow after Chan before he stopped and turned towards Felix again.

        “Hey Felix, could you please go to the L7L café before you go to your classes and get some coffee for me?” Felix nodded, smiling warmly at the other and ruffling his hair. He was really glad he didn’t have morning classes. Going back to his room, he collapsed onto the bed, quickly falling back asleep. Through the haze, he felt someone else collapse on the bed next to him and cuddle close to his side, the scent of petrichor and flowers following after.

        A few hours later, he was woken up by the sound of running around the apartment and a vase falling and breaking. He jumped up, startling Jeongin from beside him. The other was looking at him with wide eyes, inquiring what had happened. Felix placed a finger against his lips to shush him and got up from the bed, fingers sparkling with fire as he thought about the worst. Maybe someone got inside their house?

        He was truly surprised to identify the one guilty of the noises as being the hedgehog that they had saved that night. Chan had been quite reluctant on allowing the Hubblegub to stay with them, but he was soft for cute things, so in the end, after he deemed the little guy to be innocent, he allowed him to stay. The hedgehog had been in a sort of coma ever since they found him, so seeing him run around the kitchen, red spikes ready to impale anyone that approached him and golden, terrified orbs moving rapidly as he tried to figure out where he was.

        With small movements, Felix tried approaching the hedgehog, Jeongin now standing in the door frame, furrowed eyebrows and mouth opened as if he wanted to say something.       

        “Hey…little guy? Are you okay?” When he heard Felix’s deep voice, the hedgehog turned to look at him, spikes rising. Felix raised his arms in the air to show the other that he meant no harm, making the hedgehog lower his spikes, though he still looked wary.

        “Where am I?” Again, Felix frowned at the fact that he could completely understand the hedgehog. Jeongin stepped next to Felix, hands raised as well.

        “You’re in the company of the SKZ family.”

        “You’re not a clan? That means you didn’t find your partners yet.” The hedgehog exclaimed, approaching the others and jumping on the table, eyes wide and mischievous. It was true, once the family bond was made, nothing could break it or alter it, and once everyone in the family found their partners, they became a clan.

        “True. Umm…sorry to be so direct, but why can I understand you? I mean, I never understood pixies or hobgoblins, so why now?”

        “Kid, have you ever truly learned about a Hubblegub? We are so rare because we speak the same language as the fairies. Geez, what are they teaching the kids these days.”

        “Well, for your information, we haven’t been to the fairy realm for almost 110 years, so of course we wouldn’t have heard.”

        “Oh! That means you are _the_ SKZ family. Those that were always doing trouble and got exiled!”

        “It wasn’t out fault for that.”

        “Partially. But you know how the elders are. You were found guilty, then you are guilty.” Jeongin sighed heavily, not yet fully woken up to have a conversation regarding their exile. He sat down on a chair heavily, while Felix glared at the hedgehog. “Hey, don’t give me that nasty look. I’m just stating the facts.”

        “What’s your name?” Jeongin inquired, his face hidden behind his joined hands on the table. His attempt to change the subject went unnoticed by the hedgehog, but not by Felix who approached the younger and placed a warm hand on the other’s shoulder.

        “I’m Ginbu Hubblegub. Nice to make your acquaintance.” The hedgehog made as if to bow, but then realized he couldn’t so he simply nodded his head.

        “I’m Felix and this is Jeongin. It’s nice to make your acquaintance as well. Now that the introductions are over, how did you come here? And why were you sick?” Ginbu grew serious at that.

        “Well, you see, there was a recent demon attack in the Fairy Realm, close to the Arver River. The Nursing fairy that was taking care of me at that time and that I tended to help opened a fairy ring to pass me through so I wouldn’t be injured. A herd of blue butterflies came with me as well, if I remember well. They are probably dead by now because of the pollution in the human realm.” A demon attack?! Felix’s skin burned with nervousness and anxiousness. He could feel his heartbeat rise, his eyes glaze over and burn. Jeongin, having felt an abnormal amount of heat come from behind him, turned around, only to see Felix grip the chair behind him tightly, eyes blazing.

        “Hey Felix, calm down. I’m sure our families are safe.” He got up and proceeded to approach Felix, grabbing him around the waist and placing his forehead against the other’s, hands plastered against his cheeks. “Breathe with me. In… and out… in… and out.” Felix started to follow the other’s instructions, inhaling deeply and then exhaling in an attempt to calm down. He never broke down like this, never allowed the phoenix that burned inside of him to surface. Hearing that his family might’ve been endangered made Felix burn out brighter than possible.

        “Oopss, shouldn’t have said that…” Ginbu’s voice went unheard by the two fairies. Felix’s skin was slowly cooling down, his eyes no longer the bright red that they were before. Jeongin exhaled heavily, his hands coming loosely on the other’s shoulders. Felix tried to smile through the sudden tiredness, gripping at the younger’s neck. He brought the other in a tight hug, not knowing what he would’ve done if the other hadn’t been there. “If it helps even a little bit, what I remember is hearing a warrior fairy, I think her name was Rachel, say that the civilians were safe.”  Felix felt a bit of the pressure run away from his heart when he heard his sister’s name. If she said that the civilians were safe, then they were safe.

        When Felix saw the clock on the wall point to 11 in the morning, he told the hedgehog to make himself at home before reaching for his phone and dialing Chan, urgently explaining to the older what he learned from Ginbu. Chan was silent while the other spoke, the only thing that he said to Felix before he closed the call being that he should be careful at school and take care of his surroundings.

        “One more thing.” Ginbu started, following Felix to the door as the other hurriedly pulled his jacket on, ready to go to L7L café. “There is a sudden imbalance in the both realms. I’m sure you’ve noticed them as well. That is because after the attack started, apparently, a demon general quite high in rank, the second general, got murdered by fellow demon generals. Something about treason. You should heed your leader’s warning and not stray away from your usual schedule, lest a demon tries to attack you.” Felix took all of the information in, nodding at Ginbu. He felt himself be pushed outside by a sudden raven head, Jeongin shouting behind at Ginbu to lock the door, the other pulling Felix after him, exclaiming that _‘I’ll be late for my introduction course!’_

****

****

**_Early Morning: Seungmin and Minho_ **

****

        When Seungmin woke up in the morning, the air was cold around the house, making him shiver. He was still tired, despite the 8 hours of sleep that he had. His head hurt a little as well, as if someone had used a drum against it to make him wake up. There was no one around, except for the blaring alarm clock.

        His room was quite simple, walls tinted a dark blue and curtains yellow, the furniture simple and of hard wood. He liked it that way, the simplicity of it all making him feel calm and collected.

       He stayed in bed for half an hour more, before he got up, stretching his aching bones and yawning loudly. He could sense that Changbin was missing from their apartment, probably already at work, while Minho was still sound asleep. The other was just so busy searching something all night long that around 4 in the morning, Seungmin found him in the office room at his table, books and notebooks spewed everywhere, a plant with many incisions in his hands and stems void of their chlorophyll lining his table in clear tubes.  The shaman was wearing protection glasses and a comfy robe over his clothes, a steaming cup of plant tea right next to him, legs cutely gathered on the chair, one dangling freely. He had cooed at the other, making Minho jump in his chair. He watched Seungmin with a pleading look while the other touched the plant on the table, the incisions healing underneath their eyes. It was impossible for Minho to get away with an injured plant so he can study it whenever Seungmin was around.

        Now, he had to go and wake the other up, thing he knew would be tough. Minho loved his sleep as much as he loved his staff.

        “Minho!  Wake up!” Seungmin shouted in the apartment, heading towards the kitchen to start the breakfast and make coffee. There were a few thudding noises, probably Minho falling from the bed at the loud roar, followed by the kitchen door thrown open, the disheveled shaman glaring at Seungmin through his bangs. “Rise and shine beauty, we have morning classes. Why were you up till late anyway??”

        “I was studying about hybridity in plants and about certain pigments.” Seungmin tsked, handing Minho his coffee. Anyone would know that the other needed it even more than he did. Minho accepted it gratefully, already downing half of it.

        “We have morning classes, right?” Minho inquired, Seungmin nodding in response. When the other was still frowning, Seungmin shook his head inquiringly. “Weren’t you supposed to leave earlier for your introduction course?” Seungmin stared blankly at the other before he cursed loudly and hurried out of the kitchen. He was more than fifteen minutes late to his introduction course for History & Geology. The course was more for the geology part of the field of study, since they needed to know how to handle the rocks, how to study them and how to use the machines in the workshops.

        Minho shook his head at the younger as he heard bumps and curses while the other got dressed to leave. It was quite the sight to see Seungmin struggling with his jacket, a piece of toast with chocolate gripped between his teeth. Minho got up to help the younger, tsking annoyingly when he saw Seungmin almost giggle. He could even hear his thoughts: _You’re such a mom Minho_.

He was really glad that his courses started at 8:30 and not 7:40. Hearing the younger hurry down the corridor and then the stairs made him worried that he would fall, since Seungmin was more used to fly rather than walk, even on Earth.

        Half an hour later, the university was bustling with life as Minho walked through the mass of students, trying to find his class. It was supposed to be all the way to the back in the left wing, but the map was a little misleading. He ended up asking Woojin when the other passed by him, earning himself a small smile and a pat on the head, making Minho pout. He knew that he decided to join the university so he could experience it, the way humans did, and see what was all about it, but he couldn’t understand _what_ exactly made him do this as he saw two girls fight in the common hall, close to gripping the other’s hair. Minho didn’t know whether he should approach the two and stop them, when a familiar figure passed by them and placed a hand on their shoulders, smiling a little bit threateningly and saying something to them, making the girls shriek and hurry to their respective classrooms. When the boy turned around, he recognized him to be Chan, the one whose curse he had stopped 180 years ago, in 1948.

        “Hey Chan!” Minho shouted, waving his hand high in the air to gather the other’s attention. When Chan saw him, his eyes lit up, smile widening on his face. He approached Minho with hastened footsteps, closing in on the other rather fast from the other end of the common hall.

        “Minho! I wasn’t expecting to see you here!”

        “Yeah, well, I joined the university this year. What about you? Why are you here?” Chan sobered up a little bit at that, his smile faltering. Minho didn’t like seeing that look on the bright boy.

        “Well, we got exiled 110 years ago from the Fairy Realm. Our crime wasn’t as bad, so we got exiled here instead of the Dark Realm. Anyway, I suppose you’re in the Herbalism field of study, right?” Minho nodded. “What class?”

        “124A.”

        “Ahh, too bad. I’m in the next class, 125A. Come, I’ll lead you to yours.” Chan muttered softly, his smile now back on his face, albeit small as it didn’t reach his eyes.

        “Thanks.” Minho tightened his bag over his shoulder and followed the wind fairy, taking in his green surroundings and the morning rays of sun shining on the small droplets of rain from last night. The smell of freshly mowed grass and wet earth filled the air, the white clouds contrasting against the young sky.

        “By the way, what did you say to those two girls?”

        “The ones fighting? Oh, they were water fairies,  apparently fighting about their books, so I simply told them that I would light their hair on fire. Made them scurry back to their classrooms, didn’t it?”

        “But you’re a wind fairy.”

        “Learned some tricks from Jisung and Felix.”

        “Felix? As in the same Felix from 180 years ago?” Chan shook his head positively. “Are you still together?”

        “No, we’re not. Something happened twenty years after I came back, he met something in a meadow. After that, he was even more desperate to be with me, before he told me that we had to break up. He never told me what he met in that meadow, but I know Felix, and he knows when something is right or wrong. After that, we still wanted to be close, so we formed a family bond with Jisung, Hyunjin and Jeongin. Everything is better now, I think.” Minho felt his stomach coil with sadness and bitter anger. He knew what Felix met in that meadow, making him feel sorry for the boy. When your fate is decided beforehand and you cannot do anything but abide by it, wounds remain. “Here, this is your class.” Chan said, waving his hand towards the tall door with golden carvings in it. The KOA University was the biggest and most expensive university in all of South Korea, probably because of its huge structure and nature-like aspects; the subjects that were taught there also had an influence on everyone that didn’t know what university to attend, since they were very varied and taught by the most high-class of teachers.

        After he departed with Chan, Minho took a look around the classroom, which looked more like a laboratory than a classroom. He nodded towards the ones that were already there and went to choose his seat, picking one right next to the window on the far left. The blackboards were huge and clean, the walls lined with see-through wardrobes filled with plants and soils. The desks were of good quality, big enough to write on, and the chairs were comfy as well, not too hard and not too soft either. There were several drawings packing the walls, capturing a multitude of flowers of different species and height. Minho recognized most them, and even knew what their roots and stems and leaves did and under what circumstances.

       When it was close for the bell to ring the start of the class, someone burst through the door, looking around worriedly in case the teacher had already entered. Jisung had spent most of his morning looking around the university in excitement, almost forgetting that he had classes. And then, he had to search for his classroom, thing that took him more than ten minutes.

        He was more than happy to notice Minho deep in thought, staring out the window. He was wearing black ripped jeans, a muscle tee and a grey jacket that reached his mid-thigh. He looked hot.

        Jisung didn’t know whether it was a good idea to go sit down next to the other, or if his crush would be too obvious if he did. He could already feel his cheeks burn a little, the pink hue embracing his cheeks slowly. He could feel his blood pump through his body. If he decided to sit down there, they would remain in the same place for the next few years, in the next classroom.

        He wasn’t given too much time to decide, because the next second Minho was looking in his direction. When he noticed the little squirrel, he raised his hand to wave the other over. Well, his faith was decided alright.

        Approaching the other with soft footsteps, he smiled when the other pulled the chair next to him so he could sit down. Jisung dropped his backpack next to the desk.

        “Told you we would meet again.” Minho said with a cheeky grin, causing Jisung to melt on the inside. He could only smile at the other, in fear of saying anything too weird.

        The teacher arrived not a second after the small, small talk, a black brief case held tightly between strong fingers. The teacher was quite tall, his black eyes surveying quickly over the classroom, before he offered them a bright smile, making half the class relax.

        “Good morning everyone. My name is Raynolds Hemic. I will be your form teacher for the next six years in the Herbalism field of study and teach you botanic courses. I shall give you your schedules after we are done checking through the introduction course. Now, get your courses out while I write on the board your highlights for this semester.” The teacher turned around, a piece of chalk gripped expertly between his slender fingers.

        Jisung reached inside his backpack, the only thing that he had there being his notebook and introduction course, so he easily snatched the both of them out, while Minho had to turn around to search his backpack for the course. When Jisung’s eyes ran over the other coincidentally, he saw something black peek from underneath the other’s black tee, Minho having discarded his grey jacket when the teacher entered. The black thing that he saw matched quite well with a tattoo, a sharp point peeking out. Unknowingly, his body reacted first, hand outstretched to touch the mark.

        Minho jumped when he felt hot fingers between his shoulder blades, a violent shiver running through his body. When he turned to look at Jisung, hand over the nape of his neck protectively, he noticed the other’s eyes light up a multitude of sunrises. Jisung scrunched his eyes tightly, hoping that the other hadn’t seen his eyes. He could feel tremors underneath his skin, his blood burning through his veins.

        Minho couldn’t help the small grin that appeared on his face before it disappeared once Jisung opened his eyes.

        “You okay, Jisungie?” Minho asked, tenderly touching the other’s forearm. Jisung turned towards the other, eyes wide and apologetic.

        “Yeah, yes, I’m fine. I’m so sorry for touching your neck.” Jisung’s voice got low towards the end of his sentence, cheeks burning red. He was sure he would do something weird if he got flustered.

        “It’s alright.” Minho said with a reassuring smile, patting the other’s head and turning back towards the teacher. The introduction course went by pretty fast, so they continued with the manual right from the first hour. Jisung, quite embarrassed that he didn’t think beforehand that he might need the manual, didn’t take it, so he had to lean towards Minho so he could see. The other threw Jisung a knowing look, making Jisung stutter a laugh. Minho was more than excited now for the remaining years. After all, his mate was sitting right beside him and would be for the next years. The demon attacks on him had been quite reduced the past decades, so he decided it wouldn’t endanger Jisung to allow him to stay next to him.

        The few remaining minutes of the class, Mr. Raynolds handed everyone the schedule with the courses, urging them to skim through it before they left for their next classes.

****

        Seungmin wouldn’t consider himself late, since official classes hadn’t started yet and he knew every type of machine that resided in the workshop. He had proved that when he knocked on the door for the teacher to let him in and she asked, as a password, what machine was used to crack the rocks at precise angles. When Seungmin answered correctly, the door opened, stern but warm eyes warning him not to be late again.

        Hyunjin was sitting at his desk, lonely, since no one had decided to sit down next to him. When the newcomer entered, his eyes fell onto him, sparking his interest. He had passed over the password test, surprising the teacher and half of his classroom.

        The only empty seat was right next to him, so he raised his hand for the new student to find his seat in a much easier way rather than to survey the whole classroom in order to find an empty spot. Ms. Rudwig continued with her introduction course while the new student sat down, opening his backpack to retrieve a pen and notebook.

        Only when he sat down next to him, Hyunjin realized that he belonged to the fae folk as well, though he couldn’t exactly identify what he was. Leaning over to him, he extended his hand, smile on his face.

        “Hi, my name is Hwang Hyunjin.” The other smiled and shook hands with Hyunjin.

        “I’m Kim Seungmin. Nice to meet you.” Hyunjin wanted so desperately to learn what the other was, but there were several more human students inside the classroom, meaning that their fae features were not allowed to be seen. As if sensing his curious thoughts, Seungmin wrote on a piece of paper _at the break_ before he handed it over to the other. His mischievous grin confirmed Hyunjin’s idea that the other already knew what he was.

        “Andd, that’s it for the introduction course. We will be discussing types and project partners next class, in half an hour. Free.” Everybody got up, except for Hyunjin and Seungmin, both grinning.

        “So, what are you??” Hyunjin’s excitement could be seen all over his face, making the younger chuckle. He turned towards the water fairy, his eyes shifting to a green reptile, before they shifted back.

        “No way! You’re a dragon?! What type?”

        “Earth. I can also spit fire.”

        “No way!!!” Seungmin took that as a challenge, cupping his hand around his mouth and blowing, hot air and fire going out enough for Hyunjin to see. There was another pair of eyes on them, and when Hyunjin looked in the direction from where they came, he saw a girl with short black hair that reached her shoulders, a fierce expression on her face. She was wearing comfy training pants and a red tank top, vans in her feet. Her eyes turned the same as Seungmin’s before she turned around, as if warning him. He shook the image out of his mind and asked Seungmin how he knew about the password. He couldn’t believe that there were two dragons in his class. The excitement to tell Chan grew as the classes passed by.

****

        In his own classroom, Chan was hanging out with two of his friends with whom he was reunited at the beginning of class. Bambam and Yugyeom were very excited to see their friend attend the same class as them during Mondays and Tuesdays, even going as far as trying to stay all three at the same desk, despite it being for two. The teacher didn’t really take well to their little try, separating them in different desks. Bambam pouted, flashing his amber shaman eyes for a second at the teacher before he threw a note towards Chan.

        _Are we going to meet after classes?_

_**Can’t, I have somewhere to go regarding my family.**_

**** _You have a family now? Man, how long did it pass since we last saw each other?_

_**A long time dear.**_

        Yugyeom was writing diligently in his notebook, ignoring Bambam’s hits in the back of his chair to attract his attention. When they became too much to ignore, Yugyeom turned around and snarled in Bambam’s face, his eyes shifting to a very light blue with a black slit in the middle. The water serpent didn’t take lightly to annoyance, but when the other cooed at him, he felt some of the fire die down. Chan, from a few desks away, shushed them, glancing around to see if anyone else noticed. Both Yugyeom and Bambam were known for their mischief, but they were never caught. Unlike Chan, they made the trip to the human realm willingly, wanting to gather the same human experience regarding school. In their realm, they had no need for schools, seeing as the elders in each family took care of that.

        The class was rather boring for Chan, since he knew more than enough to pass the class and even teach it, but he still wanted to partake. He could pass through the class easily, with Bambam and Yugyeom always doing something to catch his attention, though his mind was caught up with what Felix had told him over the phone, about the hedgehog waking up, about the attack in the Fairy Realm and the swarm of blue butterflies, about the second in rank demon general…There must’ve been a reason for his sudden assassination, though Chan couldn’t comprehend what. He would need to pay a visit to a certain witch after classes ended.

        As soon as his first set of classes ended, he headed towards the cafeteria where he knew he would find Jisung, Minho and Hyunjin. He was surprised to see another face as well, whom he learned belonged to a boy named Kim Seungmin. He was sure that everyone around their table knew that the other was a dragon, though he couldn’t say it out loud since the other two didn’t know about Minho’s true nature, and the shaman wanted it to stay that way. They would be endangered if he allowed his glamor to fall and they started to smell like him. He had never seen a family bond in front of him, though he could now observe that the family members all had the same scent of fresh morning after a soft rain and…something akin to steaming tea; like a soft morning in which you could stay in your cozy home and drink your tea while watching the news or reading a book. He guessed that the scent would be broken once one of them found their mate, all the more reason for Minho not to make their soulmate bond known to Jisung.

        “So, how were your classes?”

        “Mine were cool and exciting. The teacher is really good at explaining and the introduction course was so easy, right Minho? Yeah, he’s also my project partner for the rest of the year. Oh, we also received these boxes with pots, plants and other utensils so we could use them in our office rooms for different types of homework. We were even told that we could enter the Greenhouse any time and at any hour if we needed any type of plant. The only thing that we have to do in return was to plant a seed in the empty space if we ever took a plant along with its roots.” Jisung started to talk animatedly, his face lit up brightly with joy, making Minho restrain himself from smiling too widely or reaching for the other.

        “Our class was interrupted by a little lost bird, right partner? After that, we received similar boxes to yours, Jisungie.” Hyunjin began, throwing a sly glance towards Seungmin who hit his shoulder with no force behind it, his cheeks turning a cherry red. Minho laughed at that, patting Seungmin’s hand across the table.

        “You should’ve seen how agitated he was in the morning to get ready.” Seungmin blushed even more, a whine escaping his throat. Minho just took pleasure in teasing the younger.

        “Wait, you’re roommates?” Chan inquired, an eyebrow raised high in surprise. Minho and Seungmin nodded at the same time, adding that they were roommates with Seo Changbin as well. Chan introduce his other two younglings that were missing, making Jisung jump against the bench with an exclamation high in his throat.

        “Changbinnie is having the morning shift right now, doesn’t he?” When Minho nodded, Jisung’s face broke into a wide grin. “I sent Felix this morning to go get coffee from L7L before my classes ended for me, meaning that they will bump into each other. Oh, that would’ve been so interesting to see.”

        “Why?” Seungmin asked with a lost and innocent look on his face. Before any of them could answer, a new voice called out.

        “Because they bumped into each other and Felix ran from the scene, leaving a confused Changbin behind. The poor boy had no idea who the other was.” The table laughed at Woojin’s words while the other sat down next to Chan, a tray of food in his hands. “I can’t wait for the mythology course on Friday when I will finally get to talk about mythology!” He exclaimed, a bright smile on his face. Chan had to resist the urge to ruffle the other’s hair.

        Their break ended quite fast, the remainder of it being filled with jokes and information so that they could get to know each other better. Through Minho’s eyes, he could see that Seungmin was already quite fond with the water fairy, probably having been attracted by the other’s scent.


	12. Red Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schedule table, L7L shifts and summarized map of the university coming tomorrow XDD

        “You!” At their loud shout, the few customers that where still there threw them a curious glance. Felix remained in the doorframe, not believing the luck that he had to actually meet with Changbin, alone, in the cafe that he had been frequenting for the past few decades.

        Changbin was hit with as much surprise as the other had been, eyes taking in, clearly this time, the brown hued orbs, the freckles dusting the other's cheeks and the messy curled golden silvery hair. Changbin could bet that his hair would be bouncing with every step the other took if he assumed correctly the level of fluffiness. It made Changbin want to run his fingers through his hair.

        “Come closer, I don't bite.”

        Changbin teased the other, trying to break the awkwardness and weird tension. _I do,_ Felix thought, but he pushed that one to the back of his head, his hands fumbling with the cold doorknob as he turned around to close the door in an attempt to calm his burning cheeks. He could only hope to keep his fae features hidden successfully. He could sense the wonderful smell of caffeine, wafting around the café. He had never sensed such a good coffee for…a really long time! _Changbin must be really good at making coffee, then._

        When he turned around, he saw Changbin, still waiting for him to get closer, a warm smile on his face. That smile seemed to ease Felix's nerves a little bit, making his strides to the marble counter less rigid. The plants around the café still seemed to be quite sleepy, but upon Felix’s entrance, it seemed as if the flower buds all perked up, curious as to who had entered.

        They stared at each other once Felix sat down on one of the hard stools; Felix not stretching to grab a paper to write his order, and the other not holding a manual with drink for him to look through. I felt unusual, since he never felt this sort of good tension whenever he came to the café.

        “You did this the last time as well.” At Changbin’s words, Felix’s head tilted to the side, his hair bouncing a little. If his ears would’ve been visible, they would’ve fluttered a little, confused. “Staring, I mean. I hoped we would actually speak and get to know each other, you know?” The blush that adorned Felix's cheeks bloomed even more, making Changbin chuckle a little. He felt very comfortable around the other but he didn't know how. It felt as if they had known each other since forever; Changbin thought that to be impossible, although his gut never deceived him before. Maybe they met before in past lives? Changbin wasn't so sure stuff like that even existed.

        “Yeah, sorry, you just seem to always mesmerize me.” Felix decided upon a little honesty, since the other truly did mesmerize him with his looks all the time. He might as well be a fairy with how pretty Changbin was. Now it was Changbin’s turn to blush, calling Felix a cheeky brat. When Felix’s eyes dropped down to the contrasting marble counter, he saw the same introduction course that he knew laid unopened underneath his bed, making his eyes widen.

        “Wait, you're going to Herbalism?” The other nodded, flipping through the course a little before dropping it back onto the counter.  He looked as if he couldn’t be more bored by anything else rather than the course, now that he had probably finished it.

        “Yeah. Surprised Chan didn’t tell you.”

        “Ahh, I guess he didn't really have the time. He was quite hurried this morning. Anyway, how is the course?”

        “....you didn't read it, did you?”

        Felix smiled sheepishly at that, nails scraping the back of his neck. Changbin laughed at that and turned the introduction course towards Felix. 

        "Here, look through it. I don't even know why we're supposed to read it since the only important and new thing in there is how to navigate through the manual and what each symbol before a new lesson means, project, study course, exam course, tests...”

        Changbin trailed off, frowning at the introduction course. It made Felix jump when the other suddenly covered the course with his hands, grinning awkwardly in Felix's face.  He huffed apologetically and relaxed his body.

        “Sorry about that, but I think it would be best if you first ordered so your command will be ready and then we can leisurely talk more, hmm?”

        Felix nodded, looking at the other with amusement before he wrote down his command on a white rectangular piece of paper that he took from the standee on the counter, not forgetting to write down the coffee for Jisung, Chan and Hyunjin.

        “Those are many cups, you on an errand?” Changbin asked teasingly, prompting the other to make a face at Changbin and imitate him. Changbin was surprised at how deep the other’s voice was. No doubt, he would be a very good rapper if he ever decided to try.

        “Something like that. Whenever Jisung cannot come get coffee, he sends me instead. Now I'm taking for my other... roommates as well.” Felix seemed to struggle to find the correct word for _roommates_ , smiling when he did.

        “That little rascal…” Changbin shook his head, now wondering how their classes were doing. He had been so caught up with his shift and the introduction course that he forgot about Minho, Seungmin, Chan, Jisung and Hyunjin having morning classes.

        “Yeah.” Felix muttered softly as Changbin turned around and walked towards the door labeled _Kitchen_ , his black and white uniform pristine on his body. Felix couldn't help but smile at the other’s happiness when working in the L7L café. He had been so curious about what kind of person Changbin was ever since he bumped into him and sensed the magnetic pull, and now that he got to talk with him even for a little, he could sense that he was really kind, funny and trustworthy. Living for so long had its benefits, one of them being that Felix could easily read any person. All the fairies were like that, reason why they never saw the advantage of lying too often when the other could visibly tell that you were not telling the truth.

         While Changbin made the four drinks, Felix looked through the introduction course, eyes skimming through it. He checked through the parts that were already highlighted in bright yellow by Changbin, not really wanting to bother with it. As chan had said, those from geology were in real necessity of going through it. When he unwillingly brushed his finger over a highlighted sentence, he felt the skin underneath burn, making him quickly retrieve his finger and wrap it in a napkin.

        He scrunched his eyes tightly in order to resist the whimper that wanted to escape from his throat. One look at his finger was enough to know why he had reacted like that: the highlighting pen contained phosphor. No wonder it shone brighter than the normal color. He waited more until opening the napkin again to survey the damage done, heaving a relieved sigh when he saw the skin was almost healed. Carefully, he went back to look through the course, this time avoiding the highlighted areas.

        “Ahh! Changbin, we're in the same classroom! 124A.” Felix shouted across the marble counter, only after that thinking that it wasn't such a good idea as the customers around him turned to stare weirdly at him. He got used to the weird stare, no longer bothering him like they used to, so he just turned around with an apologetic nod.

        When Changbin returned with the four cups, all steaming and smelling delicious, he was grinning. Apparently, Felix was not the only one happy with the classroom arrangement.

        “So, why did you choose herbalism?” Felix questioned, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over them while Felix nursed his hot coffee and Changbin wrote a message to Chan, asking how classes were.

        “Well, I was really attracted to nature ever since I was little. I grew to love plants and so I decided to study them more profoundly. My aunt didn't really agree in the beginning, since it broke her heart when I told her that I would be going away to Seoul to study, but my instinct pushed me forward and in the end, she accepted.” Changbin explained, smile dimming in intensity when he started to talk about his aunt. It appeared as if their relationship had been distanced, and not from Changbin’s side. “When I first saw the university, during the admission exam, I was truly impressed with how it was constructed and the amount of nature that resided inside. I cannot wait to see the greenhouse though, since I didn’t have time to yet!” Seeing the joy on Changbin's face made Felix smile as well, his chest a little lighter the more he spoke with the other.

         “I joined for the exact same reason. I've been surrounded by plants all my life, so it made it obvious for me what field of study I would choose. For example, Hyunjin, you've met him, grew up next to a river, so he always liked to collect pebbles and rocks of all types, and from where we come there is a multitude of them, farther than the eyes can see. That was what made him choose the History & Geology field if study. Jeongin went there as well, and for the same reason.” Felix offered a lopsided grin, noticing with glee just how immersed in his story Changbin was, left leg underneath him behind the counter on the stool, head leaned against his right palm.

        “But why History as well?"

        “Hyunjin is really fascinated with the human History, while Jeongin had no other choice but choose that, since History and Geology come together.”

        The story about how he joined the café made Felix surprised after he heard that the other had seen his flower bloomed and decided to just enter and see. It was as if his wish of luck had brought Changbin to the café. When the other told Felix that the flower was named Peony Lactiflora Felix Supreme, he couldn't help but burst into loud laughter, making the other laugh as well.

        By the time Changbin’s shift was coming to an end, they were almost leaning against the counter, laughter having taken their souls away, leaving empty, satisfied shells and hurting muscles. They had talked about Changbin's contribution in 3RACHA and how Felix's voice would be really good for rapping, about the way they decorated their dorm rooms, the way they bumped into each other and Felix's reason - he had been hurrying so that he could reach home faster - . When Minho’s clone and Seungmin entered the café for their shift, they found Changbin and Felix in an intense thumb battle, Felix almost falling off of his stool, both grinning so much and speaking with high pitched voices, each struggling to win. From the sideline, they saw everyone smile at the two, even Siege, which made it quite the weird sight. Minho rarely used his clone to get things done, but this time, he had wanted to hang out with Jisung more, so he had no other option.

        Minho could immediately sense that the other was a fairy, and linking his thoughts to the conversation that he had during lunch time with the others, he was more than sure that the one Changbin was talking to was Felix. Oh, Jisung would've surely teased them, if he had understood correctly his mate's plan. It was futile anyway since bonds like theirs brought them close sooner or later.

        After Minho and Seungmin introduced themselves to Felix and changed for their shift, he and Changbin left for the university, their footsteps hitting the pavement rapidly so they wouldn’t be late for their first class, Felix balancing the four cups.

       
      They stopped at their dorm apartments for a few minutes to grab their messenger bags, each going their separate way. Inside his apartment, Felix was jumped by Ginbu, who dropped on his head, voice gleeful.

       “It looks as if your scent changed a little dear, have you found someone you like?” His sweet and taunting voice made Felix blush a deep scarlet, his ears bursting out of the glamour, eyes fiery. He swatted Ginbu away from his head, running to his room. “Aww, he shifted. How cute.” Ignoring the words of the Hubblegub, Felix packed his bag as quickly as possible and headed off to class, meeting with Changbin exactly as the other was locking his door.

****

        Jeongin had spent most of his introduction course staring at everything but his teacher, finding the classroom and the machines more interesting. He was in his own world, eyes taking everything in. He could hear some kids talk in the back, others pass notes in the front, but there was something that was making him a little nervous. He could feel eyes on him, which wasn’t a good thing. In an attempt to get rid of said eyes, he fixed his attention on the teacher, waiting and staying like that until the eyes no longer bothered him.

        “Now, I shall proceed with the roll call.” The teacher started to call out names, the students raising their hands when they heard their names respectively. He almost missed his turn, quickly raising his hand as well.

        “Bang Yedam.” Another hand was raised in the air, drawing Jeongin’s attention. The hand had come from the same direction as the eyes, he was sure. Deciding on ignoring that fact, he kept to himself and tried to ignore anything else, reading through the course and then through the manual uninterrupted.

        When the courses were done, he exited classroom 98B and headed towards the cafeteria. He checked his phone to see if he received any message, but it was silent, no one announcing anything. The time when they had to learn to use a mobile phone was quite a difficult and funny one, because they raced each other in the ways of disturbing the phone’s system so much that it stopped working properly. They had been scolded by Chan that time, telling them that phones were important and expensive and that they should take care of them. To this day, Jeongin still didn’t know how they had enough money to get into the university and stay at the dorm.

        “Jeongin! Over here!” In the huge mass that was now the cafeteria, he heard a deep voice call for him, bond springing to life. He turned towards the direction from which the voice came and saw Felix sitting at a table close to the window, another male next to him. As he got closer, he realized that the other was Changbin, the one that had helped them start the car.

        “Hello, I’m Jeongin.” He felt the need to introduce himself again, bowing to the other. Changbin smiled and bowed as well, surprising Jeongin. The two already had food before them, their drinks already half consumed.

        “I’m Seo Changbin.” The other replied, going along with Jeongin’s renewed introduction. After he sat down and placed his food tray on the table, he was bombarded by questions from Felix, ranging from _How was your classroom?_ to _Do I need to beat anyone up?_ Even Changbin laughed at the last one, finding cute the interaction between the two. Jeongin simply pouted at Felix, making the other want to squish his cheeks.

         “Jeonginnie, how many classes do you have after this break?” Changbin inquired, leaning his head on his palm, immediately encompassing with his lips the straw so he could drink more Coca Cola. Felix had, luckily, not ordered the most common beverage, rather just grabbing a bottle of water for himself.

         “Well, I think two? And then I'm free. Why?”

         “Changbinnie was thinking that we could all go to the cafe afterwards, so we could hang out together and meet everyone. I heard that Jisung met with another hu- with someone, as well as Hyunjin, so it would be cool.” The frown on Changbin face indicated that he had taken notice of Felix’s little slip-up, but a phone call from Chan to meet up for a bit made him get up and apologize to the two, before he grabbed his bag and pulled his snapback low on his face, hands in his pockets as he left the cafeteria.

        “Felix, you’ve got to be more careful around unknowing humans and others! What if he questions you later about what you meant?”

        “I’ll just bluff. You know I’m good at that. Don’t worry. Anyway, I think Changbin is not human.”

        “Aw, come on Felix, you went over this with Jisung and Chan. Even I can sense that he is human, and you and I are the same.” Felix and Jeongin were caught in a straight stare, neither backing down. Eventually, Jeongin pulled his eyes away, sighing. “Have you managed to find Jisung and give him his coffee?”

        “Oh yeah, quite the adventure! When I called for them, both Chan and Hyunjin were as kind as to wait, but Jisung? He ran away towards the library, saying that a cutie was waiting for him. Had to chase the rascal towards the entry and have the librarian whack me with a book. On my first day!” Jeongin placed a hand over his mouth to hide the blossoming laughter. He wouldn’t want to annoy Felix and cause the other to have a fiery tantrum. Even though that would be funny.

****

        Jisung was staring at Minho from time to time, his eyes hidden away by the huge book that he had selected to read regarding the history of the academy. He didn’t even feel that interested, and wanted more to just look around the library, but Minho was quite the books enthusiast, so Jisung couldn’t refuse when the other called him to tag along.

        Turning his eyes back to the book, he reread the last paragraph, feeling as if it was the first time, not even remembering what had been written in it: _the KOA university was founded almost 120 years ago by the first headmaster. He had the ability to see through his students wishes and get to the point where each and every student was cared for, leading to the first university to be so varied and accepting. There were all kinds of students studying there, who either got it by paying, through massive projects, or through scholarships. After the first headmaster that founded the university died, the students insisted that his son took his place, the other following the wishes of the mass. The generations continued and the headmasters remained from the same family, never changing. About the hidden structure of the university, there are underground tunnels that have a hidden entrance that can be solved by a puzzle found in the headmaster’s room, though he never gives it to anyone-_

        “Jisung?” Dang it, exactly when it was getting interesting. Jisung looked up from the book, noticing that Minho had already closed his and was now frowning at the table, fingers clasped together before him. Jisung didn’t like seeing him this worried.

        “Did something happen?” As if snapped from a trance, Minho stared in Jisung’s chocolate orbs, a smile twisting his lips after almost a minute.

        “It’s nothing. Sorry I called you out of nowhere.” Minho didn’t leave room for further questioning, seeing as he had already grabbed another book to read through, something about hybrids in mythology.

        “Oh yeah, what are we going to learn in Woojin’s class?”

        “Probably about the types of mythological creatures, their history and the history of the believed to exist fairy realm.”

        “Fairy Realm?”

        “Yeah, the realm in which fae folk lives. It’s believed to be a story to put kids to bed.”

        “Do you believe it to be a story, Minho?”

        “…Every story has a nick of truth.”

 

****

        Chan had been wondering aimlessly, his memory quite foggy from last time he saw Yeji. He knew she was supposed to be in Seoul, but other than that, nothing. He couldn't even remember the area in which she stayed. His last resort was to focus on his instincts, trying to allow them to guide him towards the witch. The tall blocks and markets passed by him in a blur of blue and golden and red, the people on the streets mere ants as the other focused on the very prominent scent of bloodshed and demon traces, powdered dust and herbs.

        His feet stopped in front of a tall beauty shop that seemed to be quite famous. With reluctant steps, he pushed himself through the door and nodded at the receptionist, before he headed towards the back where a lowly messenger demon was guarding a door.

        “Step aside. I must have a talk with your Mistress.” The demon snarled and hissed, several pained voices in his throat, ultimately opening the door and stepping aside after just one glare from Chan.

        Inside, Yeji was seated at her vanity table, brushing through her long red locks with her fingers, black silk dress hugging her body and revealing long, thin legs. Her eyelids were dipped in charcoal and the smell of blood lingered through the darkened room, the same blood tainting her lips. She had changed from when he last saw her.

        Her gaze shifted towards him as she grabbed a small silver necklace from the table, a single brow rising in the air. Chan, holding in a sigh, approached her and took the necklace from her, clipping it around her neck as she held her hair up.

        “So, I see you need my help again. What is going to be your payment? Maybe now that the weak mate left your side…” Yeji trailed off, a single nail dragging down Chan’s bicep. Chan flinched away, a warning in his eyes.

         “It doesn’t matter that he is not my mate anymore. He is still my family and I shall not allow you to talk trash about him, witch!” His voice got lower, as if there were two of him inside, a remnant of his curse. Alongside with his anger, the powers that he had absorbed through the curse made him stronger, and sometimes more vicious than normal light fairies. Yeji took it as her cue to stop the harassing, dropping her hand down and sighing.

         “Then your cursed blood should be enough of a payment. Shall I give you a knife?” Wordlessly, Chan brought up his wrist to his mouth and pierced the skin with his canines, before he allowed the blood to pool in a golden cup that Yeji offered to him. He needed nothing from the other that could potentially be bewitched.

         “I need to know about the recent attack in the Fairy Realm. How did the Hubblegub and swarm of bioluminescent butterflies get here? Are our families alive? Why was the second in command killed?” Yeji calmly headed towards her bureau, sitting down and gesturing for Chan to do the same. He did so, reluctantly.

         “The sudden attack was conducted with the simple intent to kill the second in command, to make the perfect opportunity to assassinate him and make it look like a death in battle. He was a demon that still retained fairy features, meaning that he held resentment towards those that killed and ate fairies, making him try to search for a way to stop that somehow. He’d been trying for hundreds of years before he got discovered by a scoundrel. Upon the attack, a nursing fairy opened a fairy ring and sent the Hubblegub and butterflies to save them from danger.”

        “And about our families?”

        “They are safe from all that I know. Rachel took part in the battle and got scraped a little but that was all. Olivia, on the other hand, got almost drained of energy as she tried to save her fellow nursing fairy that had opened to portal for the creatures. She is recovering now. Your siblings were away while the attack happened.” It unnerved Chan sometimes how much Yeji knew of their families, but it came in handy at times like this. He felt a tremor go through him when he thought about how he would tell Felix about Olivia. Maybe he could take a walk with him through the forest, in case his fire was unleashed, though Hyunjin was a much better option, since his ice could cool Felix down much easier.

        “Thank you, Yeji. I hope I won’t need to see you again.” He didn’t say it with malice, and Yeji understood the underlying message. Chan didn’t want to see Yeji again, because that meant something bad had happened.

****

        Night was falling quickly over Seoul, and while everyone was hurrying back to their homes, a café was still lit up with warm light, laughter filling it. It was empty, save for a table at which nine new comrades sat. After Changbin, Felix and Jeongin headed there first, they met with the real Minho and Seungmin, Jisung coming along the way with Chan, Hyunjin and Woojin. The students that didn’t know Woojin, meaning Changbin, Minho and Seungmin, were quite surprised that he had come to their meeting, but soon after Chan’s explanation of how he was a family friend, they all warmed up to each other, stories filled with accidents and joy spilling from their lips.

        Seeing as the café was closed to the public, they had it all for themselves, making almost as much noise as they wanted, singing 3RACHA songs –Seungmin was a great fan, and he almost got a heart attack when he realized that he was sitting at the same table as the gods of rap (his words)– drinking coffee and other beverages that they obviously paid for, and just enjoyed themselves.

        “So, we really have to go together to this new arcade down town to have some fun! Maybe we could bet on snacks!”

        “Aww Hyunjin, you know how bad that was _last_ time. My wallet was crying.”

        “Man up, Chan. We are growing children!”

        “Yeah! Well…not children, I am mature enough.” Jeongin muttered, making everyone around the table laugh and either coo at him or ruffle his hair. The other just swatted their hands away like they were flies, pout pronounced. They continued to talk, somehow ending upon the subject of common schedules and other stuff like that.

        Jisung and Felix were jabbing each other in the ribs next to Changbin, arguing about their pet house, he believed, someone named Ginbu, while Chan and Woojin were deep in a conversation about the Friday course and with what lesson he planned to start with. Outside, it was almost pitch black when Changbin’s eyes ran over to the window next to them. It made him jump, though, the pair of bright red eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul.

        Felix, who was quite close to the other, thighs and shoulder pressed together on the bench, jumped up defensively, looking around Changbin.

        “What, what happened?” Changbin was still at a loss for words, but when he felt Felix’s hand on his forearm, gently turning him around, he relaxed a little, the coldness that he felt now seeping away. He looked into those golden orbs that he started to like so much, noticing the underlying worry and concern.

        “It’s nothing. I thought I saw something outside…but it was…nothing.” While Changbin reluctantly picked up his coffee cup to drink, ignoring the silence that fell over the table, Felix and Chan shared a look, the other nodding.

        They didn’t stay for too long after that, everyone packing their stuff and getting ready to head back to the dorm. Despite the fact that it was night, they were not worried, since they were all in group and stronger together.

        “Hey guys, you go ahead. I need to have a talk with Minho alone.” Jisung frowned at that, along with the others.

        “But, it’s not safe-“ Jisung began to share his worry when Minho stepped forwards and swiped the lock of hair that had fallen in the other’s eye, his hand lingering for a second on his cheek.

        “We’re both fighters. We’ll be okay.” Minho turned around and left with Chan, Jisung watching their forms melt into the shadows. They were quite close now to the academy, so it wouldn’t take longer for them to reach.

        “You’re whipped.” A voice, disturbingly close to his ear, spoke, making him turn around and scowl at Felix, pushing the other’s face away.

        “Look who’s talking.” Felix showed Jisung his best offended face, making the other gasp at how better he had become at doing it. He patted Felix’s cheek as a way of ‘congrats’.

        Felix, being the little clumsy of the group, couldn’t help but suddenly stumble due to an indentation in the pavement, although he didn’t even get close to the ground, because there were arms securely wrapped around his waist, pulling him tight against another body. He was breathing rapidly, scared from the sudden almost fall. Changbin had caught, and when Felix turned his head to look at him and thank him, he realized just how close they were. The others had walked faster, and were a few feet away from them, still walking.

        Upon touching the lively boy, Changbin felt his skin prickle with energy, a shiver course through his body, but more importantly, his heart picked up just by thinking about Felix. When the other had turned to look at him, there were no more golden orbs, but dilated pupils that seemed to bask in sunlight. He was more than shocked that he felt like that around the other. He knew he liked him, but to have this certain reaction…

        He couldn’t stand the weird tension that arose around them, so Felix did what he thought was best: he leaned against Changbin and buried his face in the other’s neck, nuzzling it. He felt Changbin tense for a second, a small gasp erupting from his throat at the feeling of hot lips and a cold nose against the flesh of his neck, before he relaxed his grip, ruffling Felix’s hair. It made him wonder why the action felt so natural for him. He heard Felix murmur a soft _thanks_ before the other detached his arms gently from around Changbin, giving him a soft smile. They started to walk towards their group, now subconsciously walking much closer than before.

****

        Meanwhile, Chan and Minho were strolling under the pale moonlight next to the large fountain that resided in the park close to the university. The fountain stretched from one corner of the park to the other, benches filling its sides, trees planted in between. The area was really green and dense if you wandered too far in, the trees clouding everything with how tall they were, but not quite as tall as in the forest.

        “So, what did you want to talk about?”

        “I went today to visit Yeji about something that happened a few weeks ago.” Minho scowled when he heard the name of the witch, once again reminding him of the sick pleasure that was written across her face when she saw Chan being cursed. “While Felix, Jeongin and Hyunjin were back at our home, they stumbled upon a sick Hubblegub that is now in our dorm apartment and a swarm of blue butterflies. Yeji and the Hubblegub have told me that they were sent there by a nursing fairy to save them. Minho, there was an attack in the Fairy Realm, a diversion to kill one of their own. I’ve never heard of something like that.”

        “Oh, I have. Believe me, 300 years in the dark realm show you many things. Those awful demons kill their kind the way freshly baked bread is sold. If they assassinated their second in command, then he was probably part of a fairy resistance.”

        “Fairy resistance?”

        “Yeah. In the dark realm, there are some demons that retain fairy features, which either leads them to madness and in the end they kill themselves, or they become warriors and join the resistance, fighting against their own new kind for their old one.”

      “You mean to say that such demons exist on a daily basis? I thought they were quite rare.”

        “Trust me, not many light fairies take easily the shadows of a demon. Some fight more often than not.” They had settled against a bench near the dysfunctional fountain, preferring the sounds of crickets and light bulbs burning from the street lamps hung ornamentally close to the bench over the sound of sprinkling water.

        “Minho, you know, I don’t believe that it was your fault back then. The elders were too harsh to send you to the dark realm.”

        “…yeah, but the voices of the elders and unquestionable, and if one is exiled, no one can bring him back but the elders. I bet they don’t want to see me.” They dropped that conversation rather quickly, not wanting to upset Minho any longer.

        “Chan, now I remembered that I wanted to ask you something for a rather long time now, but I always seem to forget. Have you ever met a fairy with black sclera and iris that seemed to bleed in five corners, forming an almost uniform star?”

        “I’ve seen black sclera, but not irises that bled like a star in the sclera. Although, if the iris seems to bleed like that, then that person is a hybrid.”

        “A hybrid? Of what?”

        “Of demon and fairy. The hybrids are the perfect combination between a demon that retained fairy features and a fairy that is of dark descent, not half and half, and stronger than the both. A hybrid is more powerful than a normal fairy, but equally powerful to a pure fairy of the elder tribes. I know two fairies like that.” Minho’s mind was whirling. He couldn’t believe that he didn’t figure it out on his own. Changbin was a hybrid, a sealed one. He couldn’t tell anyone. If the seal was broken before its time, then all the years in which the hybrid side was suppressed would come back in the equivalent of pain. He couldn’t allow others to urge Changbin’s seal to break more than it already did. “Minho, do you know such a person?” When Minho shook his head, Chan frowned, definitely not believing him but not prying either. “Well, if you ever meet such a person, tell them to run and hide always, and never show themselves around elder fairies. Not like us, but those really, really old.”

        “Why? And how do you know so much about hybrids?”

        “Well, one day, I was going to the Elders to get something for my father from the Restricted Area. The elder that allowed me in was quite forgetful, so they didn’t really pay attention to me. Once I had found the artifact that my father needed, I wanted to leave, but a book that was opened just near the Red Area gathered my attention, so I went to check it. Apparently, hybrids are considered to be abominations and ever since their existence was revealed to them, the elders hunt them close to extinction. That’s why if you have a hybrids friend, you need to tell him to make sure his scent isn’t sensed by anyone and that he is kept away from any suspicious fairy. My family always helped hybrids in secret whenever we saw one after I learned of the truth, but we could do only so little for them at that time. Now that we are stronger, we are sure to be able to protect one.” Chan ended his story, looking at Minho with hidden eyes. He was sure the other knew a hybrid, and it made Chan upset that he was keeping him hidden from him. Chan had always hated the way the elders persecuted everything that was new, and when he heard about the hybrids, it made him sick. They were not at fault.

        “Thanks for telling me Chan.” Minho decided upon still not telling the other about Changbin, his oath of protecting those unknowing and weak thriving forwards against his wishes to reassure his friend.

        “I would also like to request something of you, Minho.”

        “Hmm?”

        “I need you to send a message to the Fairy Realm but not through a fairy ring.”

        “…quite the headache, but okay.”

****

        Changbin just couldn’t sleep. He kept tossing from side to side, his muscles aching and his head hurting. Ever since he broke away from the group and headed with Seungmin towards his apartment, he felt empty, as if something was missing and it hurt. He couldn’t get the red eyes out of his head either.

        He could no longer stand the feeling of bed sheets underneath him, tossing himself away from them and onto the cold floor. His feverish skin cooled a little, making him moan softly at the sensation of his skin begin to cool down. His eyes closed, and when they opened again, his body felt much better, no longer sensitive and feverish, though the pain was still there. He grabbed a hoodie from his wardrobe and headed towards the verandas where he took a seat against the wooden, polished bench. The fresh air filled his lungs, calming his heart down more. It was still rather warm, so he just placed his hoodie next to him on the bench, his eyes taking in the beautiful night sky behind him.

        Minutes later, he heard footsteps, making him whip his head around to see who it was.

        “Easy there.” The deep voice that now seemed to fill his mind bounced off the stone walls, drawing his attention to the exit from the small hall. Felix emerged from the shadows, a lopsided grin on his face. He was still dressed in pajamas, hair ruffled as If he had been tossing and turning until then, eyes wide awake.

        “Why are you up and walking at this time?”

        “Couldn’t sleep.” Actually, Felix could sleep very well, especially if he warmed his bed with his fire, but he had sensed the other’s distress, making him worry whether something bad had happened. Seeing a shadow pass by his window was enough to get him up and go check. Before sitting down next to the other, he approached the vending machine, inserting enough coins so he could retrieve a Coca Cola and a Sprite can.

        “Here.” He said, handing Changbin the Coca Cola can, while he kept the Sprite one. Dropping himself down on the bench, he cracked open the can, rapidly drinking from the beverage to quench his thirst, Changbin doing the same.

        “I’ve never seen you drink Coca Cola.”

        “I’m allergic to it, can’t drink it, or boom.” Changbin nodded, storing that information away so he would never offer Coca Cola to the other. Felix was quite serious about the boom part. If he wasn’t cooled immediately after his body heated up from the phosphorus, he would keep on heating up until his internal organs couldn’t handle it anymore and probably exploded. He had never seen something like that happen though, and he wasn’t too keen upon testing it either. When a shiver passed through Felix, Changbin offered him his hoody, Felix accepting it with a small smile and _thanks_ , his fluffy hair bouncing as he pulled it over his head.

        “Why are you here?”

        “Couldn’t sleep either. My body kept on burning up weirdly and I kept on having this uneasy feeling.” Only now Changbin realized that he felt much safer than in his dorm room, his body no longer aching and his skin no longer hot, but lukewarm. He felt fingers grip his shoulder and drag him towards the other, and when Changbin understood what Felix was trying to do, he allowed the other to glide further away from him  on  the bench while he leaned on his side, his head falling in Felix’s lap, the Coca Cola can now lying at the foot of the bench.

        “I figured this way you would fall asleep.” Changbin only hummed in response, pleased when he felt fingers comb gently through his hair. Felix watched with adoration as the other’s eyelids closed heavily and his breathing evened, and as he fell completely asleep, something snapped inside Felix. He felt the magnetic pull that he always felt around the other turn into something else, into something more direct through which he could sense Changbin’s contentment and feeling of security. Their bond had stabilized and had yet to complete. It was fascinating and terrifying at the same time for Felix. Laying his head against the tall back of the bench, he closed his eyes, taking in the scent that lingered on the hoody and quickly falling asleep as well.

        Felix was awoken by a sudden chirping, making him look towards the sky. It was still rather dark, but hints of the sun were beginning to show. He groaned as he stretched his neck, looking down at the boy that was still deep in his sleep. Not wanting to wake him up, Felix raised his head gently and rose, popping the bones in his body and stretching, before he leaned down and passed a hand around Changbin’s shoulders and the other around the back of his knees, using his fairy strength to lift him. He carried him back to his dorm room, opening the door slowly with the key that was in the black hoody.

        The apartment was quiet and dark, making him wonder where Minho and Seungmin were. He couldn’t sense any aura. Once he rounded to close the door and then head to Changbin’s room, he saw a light streaming from the office room, and then sensed a faint green aura, making him smile. Not a surprise Seungmin was up this early. Pushing his door open, Felix peered inside, taking in the beautiful painting of which he had only heard about from Changbin.

        He placed the other on the bed gently so as to not wake him up, drawing the blanket over him. He watched as Changbin curled like a kitten around the blanket, almost making him laugh. He headed towards the door, but his footsteps halted. He turned around and approached the bed silently, leaning down and pressing his lips against Changbin’s forehead, two fingers resting against his chin, a silent prayer that he be protected encompassing Changbin. He was sure the other had seen something that made him uneasy while at the café, when the other had jumped. Felix wanted the other to be protected while he was not around.

        With the door closed tightly behind him, Felix headed for the office room, where he found Seungmin at a desk filled with rocks, cardboard boxes on the ground, and dust littering everywhere, making him cough a little.

        “Seungmin, hey. What are you doing?” Seungmin broke away from his staring contest with a rock, turning to look at Felix. He was wearing goggles and a white coat, his hands hidden behind thick gloves. He looked like a mad scientist.

        “I’m trying to find a way to open this rock safely until tomorrow’s classes, but I cannot find any way. It would break if I used a hammer, and under pressure, it would just become pliant.”

        “Can’t you use your dragon fire?”

        “I would burn everything.” Felix grinned.

        “Allow me, then.” Seungmin pushed himself away from the desk with a push of his foot, the chair rolling away a little. Felix approached the rock under Seungmin’s curious eyes. He placed his hands against the rock and felt the energy inside it. He felt his hair brighten, his ears elongated and hands heat up. When he opened his fiery eyes, he turned towards Seungmin. “Now, the hammer!” Seungmin hurried and, as soon as Felix took his hands away, hit the rock with the hammer, the rock beautifully breaking in half and revealing it’s crystalized interior.

        “Wow. Thanks a lot!” Seungmin’s joy was so contagious that it made Felix smile as well while the other approached the rock, a mesmerized look on his face. “How comes you are here, if you don’t mind me asking.”

        “Well, Changbin couldn’t sleep, so when I found him outside, I stayed with him until he fell asleep and then brought him back to his room.”

        “Thanks for taking care of him. He’s the time to always say that he can handle everything even when he needs help.”

        “Yeah, I figured that out.” Felix ruffled Seungmin’s hair and turned around, making sure to conceal his features again. As he closed his own door, he heard footsteps and the door across from him open and close again. _Minho got home. I wonder where he went._

        Feeling quite lazy to go back to his own room, he just crashed in Jisung’s room since the other’s bed was already warmed up with fire. When Jisung felt Felix dip next to him in the bed, he simply frowned before he opened his arms and dragged the younger close to him, cuddling him and tucking his face in his fluffy hair, pulling the blanket close around them.


	13. Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hectic updating schedule, but i was ill and couldnt really uphold the schedule. I will update on sunday again and from then on, continue as normally, on sunday now that i feel better^^

        The morning sun filtered through the campus, the green life slowly returning to the living among the tired wings of the sleepy birds that opened up with small flutters to greet the world. There was not a single soul wandering around the university, except for the lonely ghost underneath the greenhouse that never seemed at ease.

        Somewhere close to the first exit, a window was pushed open by small, weak hands, heavy pants and grunts following the small form as she pushed inside. Lila tried to hold herself upright, but the pain all over her body was barely bearable. Her skin was cut and there was still blood on her clothes, her hair a disaster and her dress ripped at the corners from claws that had tried to get her captive.

        Oh, how much she had wished to have been by Changbin’s side and make sure that he was safe instead of having to follow his aunt back into the Fairy Realm just to help with the sudden attack. No matter how much she pleaded with the other that Changbin wasn’t yet safe, she wouldn’t listen, saying that the Fairy Realm is more important than him, and at that moment, original master or not, Lila wanted nothing more than to attack the petite woman with her claws and gauge her eyes out for such a response. She had been given the responsibility to take care of Changbin, and there she went, giving it all away just because there was an attack back in her homeland.

        With what little magic she had left inside of her, Lila cleaned herself of the blood and redressed herself in clean clothes, before she approached the slowly breathing lump on the bed. Changbin was sound asleep, actually peaceful and not plagued by any nightmare.  Lila crouched down and crawled along the silken sheets and soft blanket, wanting nothing more than to lie down next to the other and rest. Next to his shoulder, she collapsed, lifting the corner of the blanket and cuddling against it, making sure that she would not be seen by him if he ever woke up before her.

        There was another presence, another sort of protection around Changbin that burned brightly and seemed to embrace Lila as well, making her feel warm and safe. Under that cover, she could feel the magic slowly seep back into her and heal her small body at a slow pace.

        Meanwhile, far off into the boundary between the two realms, a creature that was barely noticeable by any kind, fairy or demon, passed through, heading straight towards a warrior fairy that stood proud amongst the others. He was giving orders and commands in every direction, his posture strong and imposing. There were beds spread on each side of him with injured ones resting inside the raised tent, the warrior striding through them to check up on them. He came at a stop next to a feverish nursing fairy, her small body curled tightly around the blanket. She was shivering, beads of sweat gathering on her forehead.

        “Oh Olivia…” The man sighed, crouching down and pressing a wet cloth against the younger’s forehead in an attempt to soothe her. She whimpered at the welcomed coldness, eyes slowly opening for a few second, golden irises grazing upon Chan’s father before closing again with a heaved sigh.  Hether was gripping a lock of her hair between his elongated glowing fingers, eyes hollow and upset, as if he was disappointed with himself, tears glistening in them. He was crouched close to Olivia’s face, a small beam of light against her, healing her secretly. Chan’s father got up and left Olivia’s side, a claw against his heart. He had promised Chan that he would be taking care about the two sisters while he was away, but he found it impossible when the two went ahead in battle while the parents were busy discussing strategies. They were just as hotheaded as Felix was.

        A creature, more like a bird, bumped into Chan’s father, making him stumble and raise his hand as if to attack before he realized that the bird was actually a messenger. The creature had black feathers covering her body, long talons and small, bright blue eyes, a rolled up message in her beak. The fairy grabbed the scroll and opened it, his eyes going wide when he saw the message inside:

               _“Father, I heard about the attack in the Fairy Realm. Are you alright? What are the elders planning to do?_

_I met a shaman that brought into discussion hybrids, father. I believe that there is one really close to me and I do not know whether he is safe in the area in which I am. Are the elders suspicious of anyone? Please notify me before anything happens so that I can get him/her to safety.”_

        He really wasn’t expecting to receive a message from his son after so much time had passed. He had given hope, or maybe thought that something had happened to Chan and prepared for worse, but this message…it meant Chan was alive and fighting. His father couldn’t be more proud. Leaving everything aside, the man grabbed a new piece of paper and wrote his answer down, making the creature then grab it in its strong beak. He made sure to burn down the message that he received and left no trail, shooing the creature away just as Rachel entered the infirmary tent, her long tresses of red hair flowing behind her like the warrior she was, claws elongated and eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light.

        “We found a scoundrel demon in the registry area, you need to come quickly.”

        “Registry area? What section?” Rachel’s eyes were grave, regarding him with worry.

        “The fairies of the elder tribes section.”

****

        “Now, as we pass over the mandrake subject, I would like it if you opened your books to page 97 and read the first section, but for now, let’s looks at the photo provided right next to it. Could anyone tell me why we find the mandrake root to be so strange?” The teacher was pacing gently through the classroom, book in hands and glasses low on the bridge of his nose. He was dressed casually in a brown suit and dress shoes, though without a tie.

        The classroom was silent for a few seconds as everyone took in the strange aspect of the mandrake root, a single hand rising afterwards.

        “It’s the strange aspect; mandrake roots bear resemblance to the human body, albeit deformed. This also led to their association with cult practices and pagan rituals.” Chan explained, swiftly twisting his body to see the teacher as he spoke. He seemed to be rather fresh, his eyes wide and alive, unlike two of his classmates who were close to crawling underneath the table just to get enough sleep. Changbin and Felix were standing close to each other in their shared desk, eyes fluttering shut from time to time from the tiredness. They tried with great difficulty to hold their heads upright, sometimes failing, but the other was quick to shake his partner awake so the teacher wouldn’t see. The tension through which they had passed the other day and then the insomnia did no good for their tired bodies which now reflected the consequences. Felix was slightly better than Changbin, which made him wonder what drained the other so much after he took him back to his bed. Right next to their desk were Jisung and Minho, both in their own world, glaring at the mandrake root in front of them and arguing silently over something Felix couldn’t bother to try and hear.

        “Very good Chan! The mandrake roots have human aspects which classifies them as strange in our documents. Its name is derived either from plants of the genus Mandragora, found in the Mediterranean region, or from other species, such as Bryonia alba, the English mandrake, which have similar properties. They are perennial herbaceous plants with ovate leaves arranged in a rosette, a thick upright root, often branched, and bell-shaped light purple flowers followed by yellow or orange berries.” The teacher started to read from his book, urging the students to note down whichever information they deemed more important from his lecture in their notebooks. Felix simply wrote down _mandrake_ and then jotted down under the name lines with the essentials of the plant. He quite enjoyed the sounds of pens scribbling down on fresh paper, the smell of blue pasta and cleaning products that had been used to prepare the class for their first hour. It reminded him of his high school days. The sun was barely rising, basking their classroom in warmth.

        After a small break, the teacher picked up again: “These plants are rather important in the poisons section, since all species of Mandragora contain highly biologically active alkaloids, tropane ones in particular. They make the plant, especially the roots and leaves, poisonous, via anticholinergic, hallucinogenic and hypnotic effects. Now, why is it quite dangerous when ingested?”

      “The anticholinergic properties can lead to asphyxiation!” The teacher looked at Jisung with a wary look, surprised by the excitement in the other’s voice. Chan simply shook his head while Felix high fived the other underneath the table, grinning widely. Jisung got along with poisons the same way Felix got along with Shiaj. It was a mischievous relationship.

        “Now that we passed through the first section, please read the second one on your own and write down all the symptomatology that a human would present, without forgetting any of them.” Minho sighed, his eyes running through the second paragraph quickly, scribbling down everything while Jisung, this time having his own book, took his time reading, his eyes sometimes flying over the page to other images and writings. Minho couldn’t help but think to his own notes on mandrakes, their effects on the fae body and the antidotes. There had been so many times when a creature had visited him to help with mandrake poisoning, that he knew the plant like the back of his hand. The symptoms were quite similar to the ones humans got, dizziness, headaches, rapid heart rate, dilated pupils, dry mouth, along with energy leaks and uncontrollable shifts in the cases of changelings. Those were the most difficult to treat in Minho’s opinion, since they couldn’t control their bodies and to Minho, it was as if he tried to stab with a syringe a moving body underwater, with his eyes closed. He just couldn’t.

        Early in the morning when they had entered the classroom, they found a mandrake in a glass jar, along with several vials of different colors, etiquettes indicating what each vial contained. There was also a leather pouch, which, upon being rolled open, presented scalpels and scissors and other utensils that they were supposed to use to study the mandrake. Apparently,  that would be their very first homework: to work through the mandrake without killing it, and to also discover which parts were the most poisonous amongst the root and the leaves, and then try to prepare a mandrake poison. Quite an interesting homework indeed. It amused Minho, the way Jisung seemed to be so excited with the poison part.

        “Are you attracted by deadly things?” He inquired, making his desk mate squeak before he placed a hand quickly over his lips, wide eyes turning slowly towards Minho. The other was grinning quite widely at Jisung, making the other blush even more. A small nod followed afterwards. “Well, then, I shall become deadly.” Minho whispered with a wink, making Jisung choke on air, not believing that the other was flirting with him.

        “I-I was just really attracted by alchemy and chemicals ever since little, though  I suck at chemistry and I don’t even know if I’m going to pass Lab class, since theory is my biggest enemy. I need to practice to understand something.” Jisung explained, his blush slowly going away as his love for alchemy pushed forward, eyes glistening with excitement. When the teacher coughed all of a sudden, they both turned straight and picked up their pens again, quickly writing down the rest of the symptoms.

        With his pen inkless, Changbin stared at the scratch marks on his notebook where he had tried to bring the damned thing back to life, with no success. Sighing dejectedly, he turned around to reach in his bag and pray that he would find a new pen, somehow, when he felt his elbow brush Felix’s side, followed by a quite loud squeak and a slap of hand over mouth. Changbin’s eyes quickly flew up to Felix, seeing the other holding a hand over his mouth as if to stop himself, eyes wide and wrinkled at the corners, a smile hidden away. He was also tense, and when Changbin rolled back what he did, he easily realized that he had grazed Felix’s side somehow, tickling the other. He didn’t know Felix was so ticklish. They were lucky the teacher was too busy with his book to hear Felix and their classmates too absorbed with their desk-mates. The only person that quirked up when they heard Felix was Chan, instantly seeking the younger to see if something was wrong.

        “You’re that ticklish?” Felix nodded quickly, not using his voice. Changbin grinned internally, already planning out his strategy to tickle Felix without the others noticing. While they continued to read through the article, now without writing, Changbin continued to jab Felix in the ribs from time to time, enjoying the way the other squirmed and jumped or squeaked whenever he jabbed too well. Felix threw him dirty looks every now and then whenever he sensed the other moving, although his eyes were smiling.

        The jabs were coming only from Changbin’s side, so Felix decided to make everything fair, jabbing at the other as well, pleased with himself when the other jumped and almost pushed his chair back.

        “You’re that ticklish?” Felix asked, a mocking tone accompanying the same question that Changbin had used.  Changbin just stuck his tongue out at the other, pretending to return back to his book while his hand moved down to the other’s side, pinching. Felix did the same and soon they were laughing, Felix red in the face from how much he was laughing without breathing, head leaned against the table on his hands, face hidden away from the classroom.  Changbin was laughing as well, enjoying the state in which he brought the younger. His own cheeks were hurting from how much he had laughed silently, making sure that no one heard them.

        A pen was showed in front of Changbin’s face, making the other go cross-eyed. He grabbed the pen from a still almost dying Felix, thanking him with a soft rub on the shoulder. Somehow, they had managed to calm down and ever finish the article by the time the teacher got up to check, the teacher even smiling at their explanations. It was really a surprise no one heard them laugh.

        Looking out at the slowly darkening once green leaves of the trees, Chan couldn’t help the feeling of sadness inside his heart. No fairy liked autumn, because in that period, for the human realm apparently, the nature died, only to be reborn again, but that never happened in the Fairy Realm. The nature stayed alive in there all the time, a thing such as hibernation not existing. Along with the nature dying, all the fairies could feel their energy levels drop. It was different with winter, when all water fairies were a bit stronger due to the snow and they actually had snow to play with. Chan guessed that autumn also helped his element, since the winds went wild during that period, but he still didn’t feel any stronger.

****

        The bed was cold, albeit the energetically warmth that remained amongst the sheets made it almost unnoticeable for Lila. She couldn’t help but stretch her body and cuddle closer to the source of energy, only to find it missing. Her eyes shot wide open, body jumping up in the bed. The big, empty bed.

        _Oh no…_ she couldn’t believe herself, face palming when she realized that she indeed slept through the morning and  didn’t even notice when Changbin got up. Quite the protector she was. Hurrying out of the bed and the apartment, she stopped in the dorm hall, not knowing exactly through where she should go. Her head no longer pounded and her body felt rested; she felt refreshed even.

        With a strong flutter of her wings, she headed towards the stairs, only for something to pull her behind, voice soothing and presence strong.

        _‘And where do you think you’re going, little Kajaa?’_ the voice was soft and kind and mischievous at the same time, the hands around Lila’s waist stopping her from going anywhere. She tried to twist in the hold to see who had stopped her, but she couldn’t, the arms too strong. She could see the white robe that hugged the other’s body, golden embroidery lining the ends.

        _‘I’m going after my master. I need to find him and make sure that he is safe.’_ The hold around the pixie tightened, almost as if the other was angered.

        _‘Did someone force a contract upon you? Do you need help?’_ Lila was quick to shake her head, eyes darting from side to side, trying to find a way to see who was holding her.

        _‘Someone saved my life and I offered a contract in payment. I really need to find Changbin-‘_

_‘Changbin? Seo? Oh, you don’t need to worry if you are looking after him. He’s with my fairy, Felix. He’ll keep him safe, trust me.’_ The voice was yet again soothing, no longer angered or worried. Lila really wanted to see who it was. The hold around her waist was reluctant to lessen at first, but then she was free, allowing her to quickly turn around. In front of her floated a male pixie with bright red eyes and white dust around him, mark of the healing pixies of demonic descent. He was wearing only a white robe and a pair of black pants, hood pulled over his head, covering his sharp elongated ears and white hair. Lila felt suddenly naked in the sleeping gown that only now she realized she was dressed with.

        _‘I’m Shiaj. I live with the fairies next door.’_ He said, bowing slightly towards Lila, a gentle smile on his lips. It surprised Lila to hear that he was living with fairies, when fairies drove them away and hunt them all their lives. Noticing her shock, Shiaj nodded as if in understanding, flying closer to her. _‘They’re not the same as the other fairies. They didn’t hate me or try to kill me just because I am of demonic descent, and even accepted me to stay with them and trusted me. There is even a fairy of dark descent in their family and a cursed one, making it even more logical that they would be so accepting. They even got into trouble trying to protect me, so I assure you, they hold no resentment towards us, healing pixies.’_ A shiver went through Lila at the conviction in the other’s words, the way his eyes held adoration and security for the fairies. Lila could understand the security with which Shiaj was speaking, but she couldn’t speak with the same security of Changbin’s aunt. She had saved Lila, indeed, but her two other sisters were kinder to Lila than she was. The only person Lila loved unconditionally and would give her life for was Changbin, and he didn’t even know about her existence yet.

        Fingers wove themselves between hers, making Lila look up at Shiaj.

        _‘How about we go away from here for a while and talk. I feel as if you need to talk with someone about stuff, and I believe myself to be a good listener. So, what do you say?’_ Lila felt more than grateful for the other’s offering, feeling her chest quite heavy with emotions. She needed to talk, about her contract, about the recent war, but one thing she could absolutely not mention was Changbin’s hybrid self and the seal. No one must know until the seal breaks and Lila can completely make a contract with the other, one that wasn’t inflicted upon him by his aunt. She needed a full contract to be capable to uses her full power to protect him. Holding tightly on the other’s hand, Lila followed the excited pixie towards the greenhouse, feeling Changbin’s energy once she was outside in the sky.

****

        The crystals were glistening in the artificial light coming from above, almost blinding Hyunjin when he tried to move and a beam of light targeted his eyes. Seungmin just frowned disapprovingly at the other, nudging his foot to focus on their project. They were both wearing protection goggles and held hammers tightly between their fingers, Seungmin focused on the rock in front of him as he tried to open it a bit more to extract the crystals in a more secure way. Jeongin and his desk mate were trying to do the same, although he was staring quite weirdly at the rock, green glistening in his eyes worryingly.

        A few feet away from him, there was another person whose eyes seemed to jump in his direction every now and then, making Hyunjin squint his eyes at the jumpy teenager fairy. He had ruffled black hair and dark eyes, his black hoody completing the dark look. Hyunjin really didn’t like the way the fairy was staring at their baby, eyes wary. Their grumpy teacher was no longer paying attention to them, legs up in the air against another chair and nose deep in a psychology book. Their teacher was more on the _learn on the job_ way rather than _feed them the theory._ It resulted in a lot of stabbed fingers and short cries of pain, but the teacher ignored them all, urging them to learn their way around the hammers and the machines.

        “About the rock  homework, how did you manage to open it?” Hyunjin asked  in a   shushed voice, leaning way too close for Seungmin’s comfort. The other simply grinned widely and winked,  as I f hiding a secret.

        “I had a certain fire fairy help me.”

        “Damn, why didn’t I think of it?” Hyunjin hit the air with his fist, eyes glinting in the light. Seungmin just threw him a sideway glance before he focused back on the crystals.  He needed to act quickly after retrieving them and place them in the clear tubes with maintaining substances, so that the crystals wouldn’t break or lose their shine. His concentration was fractured when a short cry, louder this time, resonated through the classroom. Hyunjin was on his feet in an instant, and from where he was, Seungmin could see the nervous waves in Hyunjin’s blue eyes. Even the teacher dropped her book to look at Jeongin, who was now clutching his left hand close to his chest, a worrying amount of blood coating their work table. Wordlessly, the teacher nodded her head and Jeongin rushed out of the classroom, heading towards the restroom. Hyunjin’s body moved of its own accord towards the youngling, but Seungmin was quick to grab his hand and drag him back down, making Hyunjin hiss.

        “You shouldn’t make it too obvious. There are other fae inside the classroom, and if they sense the bond, they might bully you. A family bond is respected by fairies, but changelings sometimes have more bold and unconventional ways of thinking. A scent glamour will work only this far.” Seeing the conviction in the other’s eyes, Hyunjin could do nothing else but settle back down on his seat, the comforting hold against his hand grounding his thoughts. He didn’t even realize that they were still holding hands. The momentary distraction made a small fairy go unnoticed by his classmates as he followed the nursing fairy of the SKZ family out the classroom.

        Inside the restroom, Jeongin was clutching his wrist tightly, heavy breaths leaving his lungs, eyes trained on his figure in the mirror. He could feel his eyes shift as his powers tried to surge forward, but he needed to suppress them, otherwise, he would no longer manage to withstand the glamour and he would need to run to their dorm apartment. He couldn’t use that much energy and hold the glamour up as well. Jeongin felt his core shake with power needing to be unleashed, but he grunted and controlled it, watching the constant stream of red flow into the sink. He really needed to stop the bleeding.

        “I can help with that if you want.” A velvety voice came from behind Jeongin, making him jump out of his skin, ears flapping against his ruffled black locks with shock and agitation. He quickly placed his hands over his ears, feeling the blood trickle down. Yedam was faster, grabbing his hand before the blood got on his clothes, face pulled in a grimace. “You will get blood on your clothes and it’s a pain to get out, trust me.” Well, he had no idea from where the other had experience with washing out blood, but he had to take him on his word. The bleeding wrist was still held between gentle fingers, and after a fierce stare down between the two, Jeongin huffed, his eyes dimming in intensity as he allowed Yedam to drag his wrist over the sink and wash the blood from the skin. Jeongin cringed as he saw just how deep the laceration was, the blood constantly pouring underneath  the  water. He felt a little lightheaded all of a sudden, strength seeping away from his bones and making him sway.

        “Ohh, not good.” Yedam muttered, hand encircling Jeongin’s waist to hold him upright and against his warm body, while the other hand raised the bloody wrist to his mouth. His warm lips encompassed the wound, tongue poking out and slashing across the cut, making Jeongin hiss and gasp at the same time. His eyes met Yedam’s in the mirror and he couldn’t help the constriction around his heart as he saw the other’s serious, scarlet eyes and the way his hand seemed to hold all of Jeongin upright. He felt teeth graze the skin, but they did not pierce, and he saw Yedam frown, as if he was containing himself. He felt the warm tongue lap at his blood gently, until a numbing sensation was left behind, going up his arm. Jeongin felt his muscles relax as the pain seeped away, replaced with a pleasing numbness.

        “What did you do?” Jeongin inquired, his eyes slightly wider now that the lips had been removed from his wrist and red eyes were staring into his. The other simply chuckled warmly and ruffled Jeongin’s black locks, a smug smile stretching across his crimson painted lips.

        “My saliva. It has healing and numbing properties. You’re welcome.” Yedam said and left the restroom, leaving Jeongin in quite the shock. The other leaned against the sink, hands gripping the edges. He was quite surprised that the other could heal through his saliva, since something like that had been unheard of for centuries.

****

        After their three hours of Herbalism and small ten minute break, a grumpy, old looking teacher entered their classroom, a whole briefcase filled with vials to the brim carried in his left hand carefully. They were having Lab class next, something which excited and terrified Jisung at the same time. The mandrake plants were now stored away in their pouches for them to carry back to their dorm during the break, the desks now filled with colorful vials as well, bottles with Magnesium, Aluminum, Copper and Sulfur labeled in there as well.

        “Here you have the lab paper, and the instructions will be written on the board by me in a few moments. Read carefully through the paper, read the instructions, and _then_ proceed. I don’t want another explosion today.”  Felix grinned and skipped through the paper, hands immediately grasping at the vials and clear tubes. Changbin just watched the other with worried eyes.

        “Uhm..Felix, I’m not sure those two are supposed to go…together.” It was very much too late for the other to voice his worry, for Felix’s hands were working faster than his mind could register Changbin’s words, black powder falling freely into the purple colored vial, which almost immediately started to bubble up and smoke out, a foul smell filling up the classroom. The teacher turned to look at them, but the blue flame already lit up, making the vial explode and the fire spread to the table next to them, stopping Jisung from his laughter when the fire engulfed the vials on their table.

        “Watch out!” Minho shouted and grabbed Jisung around the shoulders, hand cradling the other’s head as they fell to the ground. Felix felt fingers grip at his tee tightly, pulling him down as well, in return making him launch himself against Changbin. All four of them collapsed onto the floor in a heap of bodies, while the vials exploded above them. The teacher was already screeching, calling any teen to grab a fire extinguisher. Chan was just watching his family and friends with wide eyes, body half tense to get up. He couldn’t believe how slow he was to react that day, it not being the first time that he got taken by surprise.

        Changbin couldn’t take his eyes off of the chuckling boy in front of him, the black nose and front locks of hair creating a comical version of Felix. Added with the toothy grin that seemed to be permanently etched into the other’s face, it made Changbin laugh with an incredulous shake of his head and a push against Felix’s shoulder. Felix pushed against his shoulder as well, both collapsing against the floor in heaps of laughter.

        Felix was a bomb at times, but a cute one at that. Changbin couldn’t believe that he was slowly falling for a walking hazard that seemed to enjoy putting his life in danger in the most exciting and adrenaline filled ways.

        Jisung and Minho were simply staring at the chuckling duo, Minho’s arm still wrapped securely around the other’s waist. The warmth was comforting to Jisung but also confusing, so it made him turn around to push against Minho’s chest to get up, but he came face to face with the other, way too close. His eyes stared deeply into those black pools, a jolt of electricity passing through him when he felt fingers dip into his small back, blue and green reflecting in Minho’s eyes. Jisung blamed it on the lack of air, seeing as he was hardly breathing the longer he stayed close to Minho. The sound of foam going off as the fire was put out startled them from the weird trance, making them jump away from each other with an awkward laugh.

        “I swear, you want to die! Why does this always happen to me?! Can’t I have a normal class without any explosion?!” The teacher raged, rushing out of the classroom and slamming the door shut. Chan just exchanged glances with his friends, before he shook his head. If they continued like this, they would drive their Lab’s teacher mad.

        As their classes ended and the break surfaced, they all hurried towards the cafeteria, relieved sigh leaving their throats. As he was passing through the small hall, Chan was pulled aside by a gentle yet strong hand on his bicep. Minho.

        “I did as you asked and sent the message, without looking. My friend brought another one back. Here.” Minho explained, reaching in his inner pockets to retrieve a small piece of paper that seemed to be sealed away. As soon as Chan touched it, the paper unfolded on its own.

        _Chan, son, I’m delighted to hear from you again. I thought the worst. We are all alright, although Olivia is still burning up through her powers. The elders are not planning to do anything other than send a clearing team to make sure all the demons were either killed or expelled._

_If you met a hybrid, you must conceal him as best as you can. The elders are not suspicious of anyone, though I will make sure to tell you as soon as I hear anything. T **h** ey m **i** ght **d** eal with th **e** problem soon enoug **h i** n the real **m.**_

The message was more than clear for Chan, although the coded sentence scared him a little: **_hide him._**


	14. Late Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^^^^

        It was a common agreement that they would all be going to the greenhouse after their last class. Hyunjin and Seungmin had joined them as well, Jeongin being the only one that had punctuated that he needed some time alone, so he would be going to the library. Chan frowned at the way Jeongin seemed so tense and agitated, his eyes searching for green ones that seemed to hide from him. Sheltered from Changbin’s view, Felix approached Jeongin and pressed a chaste kiss on his forehead, murmuring a soft blessing against his smooth skin and smiling at the other. Jeongin grasped gently at the thin wrists of the other, offering a crooked smile before turning around and, with a brisk pace, disappearing behind a stone column.

        The greenhouse was big on the outside and massive on the inside. It made for the perfect illusion. There were several levels that circled up towards the top of the construction, stairs leading upwards and pavement paths bordering the earthy patches were plants were grounded and grown. They ranged from small, barely noticeable plants with tiny, scaly leaves, to tall beasts that seemed to tower over the group, branches hanging low, forming arcades. At the entrance to the third level, there was a rose arcade that was so utterly romantic it made some of them cringe at how perfect the red roses seemed to dance together in the warm hug of the beaming sunlight.

        Bodies dropping down against a wooden bridge that seemed to connect the two sides of the greenhouse, a rushing water underneath them and the feeling of emptiness beneath, they settled down, most of them just collapsing on the wooden boards to stare at the humongous dome of glass that shielded the greenhouse and reflected a kaleidoscope of colors.

        “Does anyone remember what the name of the plant we need is? It seemed so complicated…Equisa…Equi..something.” Jisung muttered softly, hand outstretched as if to catch the sunrays, head close to Minho’s shoulder. The older chuckled, the quiver of his shoulder ruffling Jisung’s fluffy locks.

        “Equisetum arvense. It’s a quite basic plant in every drug store, good for a lot of things. It should be quite easy for us to find it and since there are a lot of them in here, we don’t need to replace the root with a seed either.” Minho’s voice was a bit drowsy as well, the heat getting to him. The only one that was not affected in the slightest was Changbin, wide and curious eyes taking everything they could in. From the sideline and collapsed next to Minho, Felix was taking in greedily the way Changbin seemed to be so…absorbed with the plants, with the nature…It was too deep for it to be a normal, human attraction, almost instinctual and pure and innocent. He could feel his fire reaching out to Changbin, assessing his true nature, but nothing was revealed to him, a wall blocking his advances. With a frown on his face, he got up and instead of going towards the other, he went in search of Equisetum so that maybe he could start their homework faster. Besides the mandrake, they had another homework from botany to test with the plant and see the healing properties in it and evaluate the percentage of each effect. Quite difficult a job, but it was theirs to find out everything smoothly.

       He found the spiky green plant at the base of a taller one, the leaves obscuring it from an easy sight, but Felix’s eyes were trained, clinging to the fugitive fast image that appeared before them while on the move. Gardening scissors in hand, Felix crouched down and started to clip away at the base of the plant, a pile of them soon growing next to him. Hands appeared next to them, binding them together with thick rope, eyes crinkling. Once the Equisetums were placed in a small cardboard box, Chan settled down next to Felix, legs pulled close to his chest, delighting in the shadows of the tall plant and the cold breeze that filtered through the leaves.

        “Jeongin was quite worried about something, wasn’t he?” After the comfortable silence stretched for a few minutes, Felix spoke, rippling through it. Chan didn’t turn his gaze towards him, but rather stared across the greenhouse, eyes falling on their friends. They were all playing with a wooden spinner, all of them unmoving on the ground and cringing whenever the spinner got too close to them. It approached Hyunjin once, and when it hit his knee, the spinner dropped to the ground, making Hyunjin groan in misery and Seungmin squeal excitedly, wobbling his way towards the other just to flick him across the forehead with his finger.

        “Yeah, he was. Dunno why though…” Chan’s voice drifted off as Changbin dropped down next to Seungmin, ruffling his hair and, in the process, throwing the other against Minho. Jisung was giggling, smiles hidden beneath his hand. “We should join them.” Chan’s mischievous smile and shake of his head made Felix raise an eyebrow at him, lips quirking upwards. Hands grasping at the cardboard box, he got up and followed Chan to their group, flopping down next to Hyunjin, leaning against his side heavier than necessary. Hyunjin scowled at the other, flicking his forehead affectionately.

        “Ahh!” Hyunjin exclaimed all of a sudden, drawing all eyes on him. He blushed slightly at the attention, clearing his throat before attempting to speak again. “Uhmm…today in Geology, Jeonginnie cut himself pretty badly. Maybe that’s why he was so cold. _Also, we have a weird classmate that seems to not be able to take his eyes off of Jeongin. A fairy, probably.”_ The last sentence was heard only by the members of his family, having used the bond to project his thought as best as he could. Jisung’s eyes were the only things that gave way to what was shared between the family, wide and flicking up to regard Hyunjin with worry. Felix was no different, expression clear on his face, attracting Changbin’s frown. Chan was the best at concealing his facial expressions, so he simply leaned over Felix and Jisung and dragged them in a headlock, exclaiming loudly and ruffling their hair. They exclaimed in pain, trying to squirm away, hands flailing next to their bodies. Hyunjin’s relief at not being caught filtered through the bond, making Chan snap his head up with a wicked grin, making Hyunjin cry all of a sudden and scramble backwards, knocking into Changbin and sending both of them tumbling to the ground. Chan flew over towards them, dropping his arms across their tummies, weight pressing them into the wooden boards.

        “Stop that it tickles!” Changbin shouted, grasping at the intrusive fingers that belonged to Chan. Chan only laughed louder. From the sidelines, Seungmin and Minho were grinning at the others, sharing a look. They were like that as well once, when they first met, but now their relationship was tamer, calmer than theirs, soothing waves over warm sand rather than burning fire in a hearth during a cold winter night.

        “I want ice cream.” Felix muttered towards no one, pout visible on his face.

        “And I want chocolate.” Seungmin followed in Felix’s footsteps, pouting as well. Chan looked from one to the other, frowning as he observed their pouts grow. He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled.

        “Fine.” He dragged the word out, eyes fixing on them. “We’re going shopping.” They all hollered and cheered, pumping their fists in the air, smiles stretching their muscles. Chan shook his head and led the way, stopping by the dorms to drop off the Equisetum so they wouldn’t have to carry it with them.

****

        The library was exactly as any should be, quiet and filled with the smell of old covered books and ruffled pages. The sunlight filtered through the partially covered windows, making for a rather soothing atmosphere that lulled you to sleep. There were shelves going far into the back, and then upwards in an arcade, ladders here and there with books stacked next to them on carts, some stacked books crooked enough that they gave Jeongin anxiety that they would fall, although gravity seemed to help in keeping them steady.

        He picked a seat among the many elongated wooden tables that filled the tall room, settling on the bench next to it and dropping his bag down to his feet, hands ruffling his hair. There was a stray ray on sunshine illuminating a small patch of wood on his table, and when he ran his fingers over it, they lit up orange and red, the sunlight enveloping his skin with warmth. He smiled, forgetting about the incident from earlier as he played around. Then, he saw the still healing mark that was left behind from the cut, and the scenes from the morning in the restroom came flashing back. Yedam, that was his name. He knew that Jeongin was a fairy, yet Jeongin knew nothing of the other, except for his name. He had not been able to sense what he was, despite being very close to his body. The coagulating and healing saliva…that was another story altogether.  Jeongin had read in old shaman books that fairies with powers like that had been killed a long time ago in the Great War, but there was Yedam, defying everything that he had read. He felt like grabbing at his raven locks and clenching his fingers tightly around them, the frustration getting to him. He didn’t even know why he was getting so worked up over one of his classmates. Knowledge was always something that he adored and loved almost above all else, it was something that grounded him whenever he did not know what to do, but with Yedam, everything that he ever read was nullified, which made him feel weak and upset.

        He really needed to get his mind off of things. Pulling his backpack and dropping it on the table, he got up and stretched his hands above his head, bones popping satisfyingly. Turning his head from left to right, he took in his surroundings once more, noticing the quiet librarian by the front desk, glasses painted on his face with a silver touch and eyes gliding softly over the pages of the book that he was oh so gently holding in his hands as if it was a thin trail of sand that he needed to hold together from falling apart. Jeongin felt intrigued with the aura that the other presented, his feet already moving towards the front desk.

        Dark eyes looked up to greet foxy ones, a smile blooming on his face. He placed the book down slowly, straightening in his chair and dropping his glasses on the table.

        “What can I help you with, Fox?” Jeongin almost stumbled back at the familiar voice that did not match the body.

        “Jinyoung?! Why are you in this body?” Jinyoung chuckled and got up from his spinning black chair, circling around the desk to come face to face with Jeongin. As his hands grasped the other’s shoulders, Jeongin felt the same energy rush through him as he always did around the elder.

        “I need to hide myself from fairies and changelings alike. Humans are of no interest to me. Now, tell me why you’re here. You never appear in front of me without a question of your own.” The unholy son of lightning and fire blinked at the Fox questioningly, hands no longer grasping but brushing along his forearms, smile no longer wicked but warm, luring Jeongin to answer.

        “I met someone of the older ages that should be dead.” Jinyoung hummed. “He belongs with the Sangvines, but he does not reek of blood. He heals with his tongue but he is not of the serpents. What is he?” Jinyoung’s eyes crinkled with amusement. There was his fox, speaking in riddles as usually. Jeongin’s eyes were now black slits against green that seemed to swim in a pool of golden, sharp claws poking at the black suit that Jinyoung was wearing.

        “That is for you to discover on your own, little one. Just remember, Foxes have wisdom that others don’t, but they are more vulnerable. Don’t let him find those vulnerabilities…” Jinyoung’s voice got drowsier as moments passed, as if submerged underwater, and suddenly Jeongin was gasping, hands launching at whatever he had in front of him, which happened to be the very table at which he was seated. His eyes took in the angry claw marks across the table, and then looked at his hands, no claw in sight. He looked around him, the library was deserted, not even the librarian present. Jeongin felt his heart beat faster and faster, until the door was banged open by a group of girls that were chatting among themselves, settling down at a table a few feet away from him. They didn’t see him. Jeongin got up, grabbed his backpack, and disappeared from the library. Jinyoung never appeared in his Sight if something wasn’t appealing to the other…or crucial. He hoped it wasn’t the latter. He would take annoying Jinyoung over serious Jinyoung anytime.

****

        “Give it back! Shiaj, come here this instant!” Felix shouted through the soundproof apartment, chasing after the giggling pixie and dodging white dust at the same time. He was snarling at the other, canines elongated and eyes burning with the desire to burn. With sparkles at the tips of his fingers, he reached for Shiaj, white material brushing against them, but still too far to be grabbed. He cursed and spoke in the elder tongue, trying to capture the other in a capsule of air, but the sneaky little Kajaa was too fast for him.

        “Hey, not over my food!” Chan shouted from the kitchen, shooing Shiaj away from over the table that Chan was slowly filling with food for when they would all be meeting in to play games and study together. Shiaj just chirped in high pitch and ran over to the corner of the kitchen, hands and back flat against the wall to avoid being seen, body camouflaging against it. A screech was soon heard from the pixie when a small ball of fire almost hit him, making him jump away from the wall, leaving a black scorched mark against the pristine white corner.

        “FELIX!” Felix cursed and made a 180 degree turn, legs moving faster than he knew was possible to escape Chan’s wrath, knocking into a sleepy Jisung and a laughing Hyunjin, Jeongin having locked himself in his room. He threw himself out the door, Yrys tucking herself in his orange curls as he passed over to room 73, closing the door behind him and breathing heavily. With his eyes closed and hand over his heart, back leaning heavily against the door, Felix didn’t see Minho standing in front of him, eyebrows raised, apron over his clothes and ladle clutched in his hand. He saw the giggling pixie in his hair and the white dust coating Felix’s freckles and walked closer. What Felix saw when he opened his eyes was an evil Minho, shadows covering his face and eyes glinting in the darkness, along with the wide, equally shiny, smile.

        “AHHHH!” His scream of terror went so fast through Changbin’s body that he was brought into shock, pencil dropping from his fingers and eyes bulging out of their sockets. He scrambled towards the front door, Felix’s name on his lips, before he was stopped in his tracks: Felix was crouching on the ground, back against the door and eyes wide, with Minho in front of him, ladle in his hand and apron thrown over his clothes. “Why is everyone so determined on _killing my heart?!_ ” Felix moaned lowly, strength leaving his body. “First, my notebook is stolen, then Chan tries to kill me, then Minho tries to possess me. My day couldn’t get any worse.”

        “Hi Felix.”

        “ _Well shit, it just did_. Hey Changbin.” Felix threw an awkward smile at the other. “Sorry for bursting into your apartment like this. I was running from Chan’s wrath.”

        “What did you do?”

        “Uhm…burned a mark in his white kitchen, all black and orange tinted, and now he’s after my blood.”

        “Yep, you’re dead.” Minho exclaimed happily, waving his ladle before swaying his way towards the kitchen, a laugh bubbling from his throat. Changbin scratched the back of his neck, extending a hand for the other to grab. With a grateful smile, Felix pulled himself up from the ground, suddenly towering over Changbin. He really disliked being shorter than the other.

        “You can join us if you want. Well, me anyway, I don’t know if Seungmin needs help with his crystals or if Minho needs an assistant with the pancakes-“

        “You. I’ll join you.” Felix’s warm tone and shining eyes made Changbin choke a little on his words, and maybe even on air, who knew anyway,  and moved towards his left, allowing Felix entry. _Here goes nothing._

        “You were sketching?” Changbin wants to cringe as the other boy shuffles over to his current work, eyes taking in every detail, and it’s not because Felix is looking over his work without asking. It’s because he knows his work is-

        “Wonderful…” Huh? Changbin looks at Felix, confused to his bone. His work could, in no way, be wonderful, especially with all the black smudges along the outline and the lack of expression and emotion across the cold colors.

        “I’m not really sure that is wonderful Lix…it’s not even my best work, it’s awful.” But Felix is shaking his head even before Changbin can finish his sentence, turning his work upside down and shoving it in Changbin’s face.

        “Look. Truly look and then say it’s awful.” Felix says, holding the painting still and at eye level for Changbin to see. He looks, tries to see what Felix saw, but there’s nothing. He looks back at Felix who nudges his head towards the painting. He sighs and looks again, even peering closer to see what the big fuss was about. It jumps in his eyes faster than he can realize it, muscles moving across the painting. He touches the center slowly and then moves outwards, lips parting in a mute gasp. Felix was a true artist for noticing Changbin’s brain, hidden so deep into the painting. The small, winged creature against the pale blue colors, the soft wings and smooth clothing, the indigo eyes and white hair bleeding into the almost clear sky. The lines that annoyed Changbin were now holding the creature like a spider web, as if embracing her.

        “You…how…I…you’re amazing.” It escaped Changbin’s lips before he could stop the words, although he was too shocked to even consider them. Felix blushed and averted his gaze, a huff passing his lips and eyes crinkling with amusement.

        “You should have more faith in yourself. It really is a wonderful painting.” If Felix recognized the creature to be a pixie, he said nothing, not to Changbin, not to his family. Slowly, he was starting to realize what Changbin was probably going through, if he truly was not human as Felix believed him to be. Seals were hard to break, and it brought great pain to the one that had it broken before the right time. Changbin showed enough signs for Felix to believe that he was not human, but he also was oblivious to them, so a seal was the most logical thing that passed through Felix’s head. It made Felix worry a little. What if he shifted around the other unwillingly and it ripped at the seal? He needed to control his magic more around Changbin, if he wanted to protect him.

        Inside their apartment, Chan was still pacing around, glaring at the black mark in his kitchen. He was ready to give an earful to his youngling when he caught him. Ginbu was crawling along the counter, a bored expression on his face. He had been getting used to their presence ever since he woke up, although it was still hard for him. Chan could only imagine how awful it was to lose your guiding fairy, in Ginbu’s case his nursing fairy, at a young age. Ginbu was still fairly young, despite all his knowledge.

        “Groovy, what got you so active?” Hyunjin dragged out his question as he turned around in his bed, chuckling as another soft hand poked underneath his eye, giggling and flying away, brown hair clouding the green eyes that were oh so mischievously running over Hyunjin’s form. He was so agitated ever since Felix started to chase Shiaj around the apartment, as if he was urging Hyunjin to play as well. He was just so…drowsy because of the unexpectedly hot day, wanting nothing more than just to lay around in his bed, clutching at the soft sheets and blanket underneath and around him, raven locks spread across the white pillow and fingers poking from underneath shirt paws. Another whine from Groovy woke Hyunjin more, and once Groovy started to sprinkle him with water, he woke up fully, the water seeping through his skin, energy flowing towards his core. “Ah, what would I do without you?” He inquired, making grabby hand towards his pixie. Leave it to Groovy to know what to do to take his friend out of a shady state.

        Groovy flew against Hyunjin’s neck, small arms covering a small part of it, before they were gone and Groovy was climbing across his ear, settling in his ruffled hair, hands twisting around two locks so he wouldn’t fall as Hyunjin got up.

        In the living room, Jisung was leaning lazily against the back of the couch, hand barely grasping the remote as he shuffled through channels, Jeongin’s head in his lap, snoring lightly. Jisung’s free hand was combing through Jeongin’s raven locks, feeling the others warmth with security.

        “He finally got out of his room?” Hyunjin inquired, sitting down on the couch and pulling Jeongin’s legs in his lap. Jisung nodded, smiling fondly at their youngest.

        “He was so tense when he came into the living room. Had to drag him to sit down. Now he feels warm instead of cold.” Hyunjin could feel it too, the emotions of hostility no longer surrounding Jeongin. He couldn’t understand why the other had been so agitated, but he was glad that he was feeling better now. From the doorframe to the kitchen, Chan looked over the three, a small frown pulling his eyebrows down. Why had Jeongin been so upset indeed…

        A gust of wind blew against Chan’s right ear, making him hiss and raise a hand to shield it, just as another one passed again. His eyes followed the fast, blurry outlines of two bodies, chasing each other, one of them carrying an object. With a flicker of his wrist, he slowed their movements; he recognized Shiaj running from Yrys, Felix’s notebook still in hand. They were arguing, that much was clear. Hyunjin watched the interaction above his head with wide eyes, clamping a hand over his mouth to stifle a gasp when Yrys dove after Groovy to get help, startling him out of his light sleep. Shiaj chuckled and waved the notebook at the two, running out of the room before anyone could say anything. Yrys huffed and disappeared after him again, Groovy following reluctantly.

       “What is so important with that notebook?” Jisung asked, looking from Chan to Hyunjin, but apparently, neither knew. As the body on the couch tilted a little to the left and buried their face in Jisung’s tummy, everyone sighed in relief. Jeongin was still peacefully asleep.

        Late in the evening, they all gathered up at Chan’s, no sign of pixies or anything related to magic in sight. Books were sprawled everywhere on the ground, as well as students, all of them with their notebooks in their laps and pens between fingers or teeth. Their study session was going on well and late into the night, each of them comparing the answers for Equisetum that they obtained, while the ones from Geology discussed the properties of the current crystal that they were analyzing, a green colored one with hues of violet. The rock had been softer to break this time, but the crystal was sharper than even a knife. They had to be really cautious with it.

        “Changbin, what substances did you find?” A notebook was shuffled, eyes jumping through the written lines.

        “Minerals, polytosterols, dietary fiber, vitamins, tannins, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides and caffeic acid phenolic ester. Had some difficulty extracting the last one.”

        “Okay, at minerals: silicon, potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus?” Changbin nodded at Jisung, Felix next to him shivering slightly. Eyes jumped over to him, asking, golden orbs laughing in response. “Vitamins A and E?”

        “And C.” Minho picked up, hand passing over Jisung’s shoulder to mark down a _c_ next to the list of substances. His weight made Jisung sway a little jokingly, Minho smacking him across the shoulder with a _Hey, I’m not that heavy!_

The second step to their homework, after finding the substances on their own and verifying with the book, was to brew the plant and drink the tea, and maybe write down immediate effects and late effects. All of the fairies cringed at the taste, the only ones enjoying the tea being Changbin, Minho and Seungmin. In fact, it was rather sweet.

        “You know, this plant is called Common Horsetail, but it’s toxic to horses. Actually, every other species of Equisetum is.” Everyone looked with wide eyes towards Jeongin, horrified as if they were going to die. It took some time until Jeongin realized what he said. “No! I meant other than Equisetum arvense. The other species are toxic, not this one.” Jeongin couldn’t help but snicker. It wasn’t as if their teacher would be giving them poisons.

        “Oh yeah he will, we are going to make our own poison in the second semester.” Jisung, as if hearing his thoughts, which he probably did, muttered close to his ear, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Leave it to Jisung to be excited around lethal things.

        “Come on, now we need to read through the paragraphs in the manual and draw in our notebooks one of the images displayed. It’s probably so that the teacher is completely sure we would recognize the plant along with the fertile shoots.”

        Four hours later, the TV in their living room was blasting with shooting sounds and commands, Felix and Jeongin almost on their feet from where they had been relaxing on the sofa, controllers clutched tightly in their hands and serious expressions on their faces. Hyunjin had no heart in him to tell the two that their team had already lost by two points because of the slight disconnection from earlier. They were way too caught up in the game, shouting commands to one another and strategizing.

        “Wow, it’s as if they really are soldiers.” Changbin muttered, relaxing against the counter next to Chan. Chan nodded, although Changbin didn’t know to what extent his words went. Felix and Jeongin could never be on the battlefield together, seeing as Jeongin was a nursing fairy and he would be endangered, but whenever Jeongin was up to it, Felix ran tests with him and simulations, both of them becoming very good at strategizing and fighting together, almost as good a team as he and Felix. Jisung and Minho were cheering from the sideline, while Seungmin was outside, still talking with someone over the phone. He came back inside a little bit angry, but one worried glance from Hyunjin and he was back to calm, collapsing next to him and enjoying his body heat. Hyunjin had always been wondering why Seungmin was so cold almost all of the time, blaming it on his dragon side.

        “Cards?”

        “How about poker?”

        “Who knows to play poker in here?” Chan whistled when all the hands rose high up in the air. “Fine then, poker it is.” They dragged one of the large flexible tables that they had stored in the back room, dropping it in the middle of the living room. The sound of chairs scraping against the floor signaled the start of the game, not even half an hour later Minho being close to winning and Jeongin out of the game for trying to cheat: _No way you sneaky little fox. You cheated, you’re out,_ Felix had said when Jeongin tried to pout at him. Ever since then, he leaned more than half of his body over Felix, peering into his cards and helping him whenever he got stuck. Somewhere along the game, Seungmin and Changbin teamed up against Hyunjin and Jisung, Chan being the mediator between the teams, Minho, Felix and Jeongin throwing in arguments about the two teams. When the doorbell rung, Chan was almost instantly over the door, leaning on the frame as he opened it with a wide grin, Woojin with a few boxes of pizza stepping inside.

        “Woojin!” Everyone shouted, throwing their poker cards into the air and hurrying towards the boy to hug him and take the pizza boxes. Music blasted through their speakers late into the night along with 3RACHA rocking the stage, Woojin singing along some songs with them. All of them collapsed on the floor from laughter when Woojin started to rap Changbin’s part in Matryoshka while the original rapper stared at Woojin, eyes wide with mock terror. Chan and Jisung patted Changbin on the shoulder and announced through fits of laughter that Woojin will now become their Changbin, saying that he was the best rapper. Changbin had nothing else to do but collapse on the floor covered in blankets and pillows, drowning in his misery. Felix was cracking up as seconds passed, collapsing against Changbin’s shoulder, barely breathing and clapping like a seal on shore, body shaking with laughter. They really were a loud bunch.

        “…And then, something jumped out from beside the column while I was heading to my office and then-“Woojin stopped to breathe, the boys gathered around him gripping the pillows in their laps to keep from laughing. “- and then Chan stumbled outside with twigs in his head and mud-caked clothes, and the only things that was white about him were his eyes and teeth, I swear. I ran out of there like my life depended on it!” Bursts of laughter circled the boys, some thrashing and falling on their back or cringing in someone else’s shoulder.

        “To my defense, I was followed to the university by a wild boar, through the mud puddles!” Surprisingly, Felix was the one to laugh even harder than everyone else, attracting all eyes on him. “Yes, he is the one at fault!”

        “I c-can ex-explain!” Felix struggled to talk and breathe at the same time, holding his arms around his aching stomach muscles. “We were both at home when Chan left for the university on foot. I wanted to see where he was going, so I followed him, hidden by bushes, but somehow, I managed to step on the wild boar’s tail, making him run away. Chan thought it was chasing him, but it was in fact running away from me! I remained behind the bushes while Chan was chased away by the boar all the way to the university.”

        “How did he know it was you, though?” Minho inquired, straw hanging limply from the corner of him mouth, halfway dipped into the Coca Cola can.

        “Jisung saw everything and with his big mouth, news circulated fast to Chan’s ears.” Jisung jumped up, offended.

        “Hey! My mouth isn’t that big-“ Hyunjin, from beside him, shoved a quite big piece of chocolate in the other’s mouth, making Jisung look at him with comically wide eyes, muffled consonants and vowels vibrating in his throat. Minho cracked up the hardest out of all of them, his body halfway collapsing into Changbin, eyes a line and gasping sounds escaping his lungs. Changbin huffed a chuckle and waved in Minho’s and Jisung’s direction, exclaiming that they were _perfect for each other_ , making Jisung blush, mouth filled with chocolate. He really looked like a squirrel then, locks of hair clouding his vision slightly.

        Around 2 in the morning, the gang broke apart, Changbin, Seungmin and Minho heading back to their apartment after helping with the garbage, Jisung, Hyunjin and Jeongin immediately collapsing on a bed together and huddling close, falling asleep faster than Chan could  comprehend.

        While Minho chose to lock himself up in his room and study upon the mandrake poison, Changbin headed towards the office room, dropping down on his stool-like comfy chair at his desk, vials with minerals and the pot with the mandrake in front of him. He took several glass tubes from one of the cardboard boxes on the shelves and placed them in the wooden stand, plugged in his night lamp and angled the head so all the light was pouring over his hands. He proceeded then to extract the mandrake carefully, without rupturing any root extensions. Using the scalpels that were provided by the school, he severed a small portion of the root, from the part that Changbin assumed to be the left leg, ignoring how weirdly it resembled a human. He then removed a small leaf and a part of the stem from which it sprouted, placing each on the wooden board that he would be using to cut the segments into smaller pieces. He went through the experiment sheet again and prepared the chemical solution in which he needed to leave the segments for three days to observe the poison levels in each. The darker the golden color became, the poisonous it was.

        Felix found him when he was done preparing every glass tube for the experiment with the fragments dropped inside, nose burrowed deep in a dusty, leather covered book, images of segments that resembled those of the mandrake painting the corners of the pages, the explanation for each written next to them. He was holding two steamy mugs filled to the brim with hot cocoa, body covered in a sweater-like blanket. Changbin didn’t even jump when he heard the door open and Felix stumbled inside, being more than used to the other. It was as if he recognized Felix’s presence whenever the other was close to or around him.

        “Working late?” His deep, slightly raspy voice bounced off the white walls and into the darkened room, making Changbin look up at him.

        “Yeah. Thanks.” He murmured as Felix handed him one of the mugs before dragging a stool so that he could sit down next to the other at the table. He allowed one leg to dangle freely while he brought the other up, circling his arms and dropping his chin on his knee, blanket strewn over his shoulders, warming him up. The blanket was too long, even for his tall body, the material going over the length of his fingers, small pads poking out from the paws, making Changbin want to cuddle the other.

        As Changbin continued to read through his book, both of them enjoying the comfortable silence accompanied by their breathing and the occasional sip of hot chocolate. It wasn’t long until Felix’s head lulled to the side, sleep claiming him. When Changbin took notice of his state, he smiled to himself, hand rising quietly to brush along the other’s cheekbone, smile widening when Felix’s nose twitched, leaning into his hand as he sensed the touch but didn’t wake up. Thinking that he could finish through the chapter and then take Felix to his room so he could sleep, he went back to reading, not taking into account Felix’s position.

        Not even a minute later, when the muscles in Felix’s body relaxed, he fell from the stool and onto the soft carpet that Changbin had thought to add to the office room so he wouldn’t make too much noise by walking over the transparent tiles. Worried that he got hurt and woke up, Changbin dropped his book and went over to the younger; Felix was sound asleep, not at all bothered by the fact that he just fell. Changbin’s presence was just so soothing for him, that every worry seemed to dissipate from his body, leaving him calm and relaxed.

        Changbin leaned down and passed his hands around Felix’s shoulders and underneath his knees, huffing as he passed all the weight to his thighs so he could get the both of them up. He walked to his room and gently pushed the door, laying Felix down on his right side of the bed and wrapping him in his blanket. It was only later that Changbin realized he could see everything clearly in the darkness of his room with no source of light.

        Almost an hour later, back in the office room, Changbin was struggling to stay awake, his chocolate long drank and the mandrake section read two times. It was quite difficult for him to hang on long enough so that he could read through the Equisetum arvense section,  everything around the room lulling him to sleep, the option of drinking coffee eliminated from the equation; he wanted to sleep that night after all.

        Something moved in his field of vision, making him jump. He saw something small, with wings maybe, flying close to him, indigo eyes peering into his soul before they were gone. _Go to sleep_ was what he heard through the soft creaks of the floorboards and the ruffle of the wind outside. He shook his head, thinking that he was probably going mad from the lack of sleep, and got up, pushing his chair in and stumbling sleepily out of the room. Inside his room, Felix was turned on his side, a half of the blanket covering his body, nose tucked in Changbin’s pillow. The other immediately went to the other side of the bed, too tired to coo at the cuteness of the other. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep slumber, darkness clouding his vision.

        Despite the both of them facing opposite sides of the room, back to back and blanket stretched between them, in the morning Felix was all over Changbin, hand wrapped around the other’s waist and warm face pressed against his neck, nose a little bit cold. Changbin woke up too warm but not uncomfortably so, hair tickling his nose and something cold pressed against his neck. As he moved only a bit, the hand that was around his waist tightened considerably. He froze when he realized that Felix had drifted over to his side in his sleep and was currently cuddling him. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, on the contrary, he loved it, but he didn’t want the other to feel uncomfortable. _What if Felix didn’t feel what Changbin was currently feeling?_

        With that thought in mind, he escaped the tight grip and got out of the bed, eyes squinting to see the clock on his nightstand. _10:43._ Seeing as they had afternoon classes and they were more than done with their homework, Changbin dragged himself towards the kitchen, ready to prepare breakfast for his roommates and Felix.

        Back in his room, Felix was still drowsy with sleep, hugging the blanket to his chest, face burrowed in the fluffy pillow that seemed to be embracing his cheek. He couldn’t get enough of the lavender and lime scent that seemed to linger around Changbin, accompanied at times by the scent of earth and fresh water. It relaxed him and made the bond that he had with Changbin throb with happiness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schedules comin' up later today and next sunday, the map of the university ;)


	15. Not an Update

Hey guys. I'm really sorry to upset you like this, but i won't be able to update the story until the end of May. I'm currently in exam period, and there's a lot to study, so i don't have enough time to write, no matter how much i try to find time. I'm really sorry and i hope you won't be too upset by this. As soon as i am done with the exams, i will post a longer chapter. Love you all and thank you for reading my book, commenting and leaving kudos. You're the best! ^^


	16. Schedules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are the schedules ^^

M=morning

A=afternoon

Also, Chan, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Bambam and Yugyeom are part of transitional classes, that separate their students in half and switch them with another half so that they could interact more. For example, Chan is in class 125A with Bambam and Yugyeom on Mondays and Thursdays, and then he is with his group in 124A, while Bambam and Yugyeom go to 126A with the other half of the classrooms.


	17. Crimson Sea District

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyunjin and Seungmin find more down the alley than they expect...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, finished with the first set of exams, so i have a small break until the next set, since we have three for the first and another three exams for this one that is to follow. That meant i had time to write a new chap^^ Enjoyy, leaves kudos and comments <3 Saranghae~~~

         Seeing as Minho and Seungmin were already gone to the L7L café for their shift, Changbin only prepared two dishes, for him and for Felix. With the food ready and laid out on the table, he left the kitchen to wake the other up. What he found inside his room was not what he was expecting: Felix was whimpering, head moving from side to side on his pillow, fingers bunching his sheets underneath them. The image made Changbin rush over to the younger, crouch by the bed and place a hand on his shoulder, the other gently cupping his cheek.

        “Felix? Hey, wake up!” He tried shaking the other, and when nothing worked to wake him up, he got up and dragged Felix in a sitting position, slapping his cheek gently numerous times to wake him up. He broke from the nightmare with a shaky dragged in gasp, eyes flying open and scared, settling upon Changbin blindly, not even seeing him the first time. He was shaking. Tears gathered in his eyes and fell down his cheeks, his eyes widening even more as he realized that Changbin was there, was in front of him, holding him, and suddenly he felt safe, no longer seeing the vicious faces of demons, or the grins that humans bore, or the several images that were burned into his mind of comrades killed and drained of life right in front of him on the battlefield. The nightmares had stopped for a while, but now, they seemed to have come back. No words were shared as Felix surged forward and buried himself in Changbin’s reassuring embrace, his ragged breathing calming down, the shaking sobs toning down to soft sniffles, the other’s scent engulfing him completely, calming him down.

        “It’s okay, you’re okay, you’re safe.” Changbin kept muttering soft, reassuring promises, running a hand through Felix’s ruffled locks, his other hand around his waist, making sure the other knew he was there for him. He could feel Felix slowly relaxing against his body, and in an act purely subconscious, Changbin brushed his lips against Felix’s golden hair, placing a kiss upon his head. Felix neither froze, nor did he react in any other way, instead diving further into his embrace, a hot breath brushing by his neck.

        “I’m sorry about that earlier.” Felix spoke once he felt better, moving slightly so he could see Changbin’s face. There were tear trails leading down Felix’s cheeks that Changbin simply wanted to brush away, not wanting to see the younger upset anymore, but he couldn’t find the courage in himself to do so, in fear that the other would recoil from the touch.

        “…I know how nightmares feel. There’s nothing to be sorry about, Lix.” Felix was still frowning, a pout on his lips that made Changbin want to kiss him, instantly making him shake his head slightly to get the urge out of his mind.

        “I made us breakfast.” Changbin said instead, smiling a little lopsidedly, making Felix chuckle at the funny image. It all felt so…normal. Changbin waking Felix up, saying that he made breakfast, bringing him out of the terrifying world of nightmares…it made Felix’s mind wander.

         The kitchen was warm, the smell of freshly baked eggs and bacon lingering around, the calming breeze from outside filtering through the open window. There were two plates filled with food, eggs, bacon and some vegetables, two steamy teacups next to them. The lazy sun was still tracking upwards into the sky, barely blinking open through the hazy clouds.

         They ate in comfortable silence, Felix’s eyes still half closed, posture tired. Changbin was too busy staring at the other, hand mechanically bringing food up to his mouth for him to chew. Sometimes he missed, making him jump when he felt the metallic fork bite into the side of his mouth. At one point, Felix caught him, sending him into a fit of chuckles. The tea, Felix noticed, was filled with plants that replenished a fairies energy, which made him wonder how Changbin knew how to make it.  It also made him think about what Changbin really was, his thoughts leading him to the option that the other was a fairy, though he could never know for sure until the seal was broken.

         “Say, where did you learn to make tea like this?” When he saw Felix tighten the blanket sweater around him, Changbin wondered when he grabbed it. It seemed as if the blanket magically appeared around him wheneverp he needed it.

         “Why? It’s not good?”

         “No, it’s not that! I was just wondering because it’s so good!”

         “Ahh…” Changbin’s cheeks turned slightly red almost as soon as Felix’s words processed through his ears. “…my aunt taught me how to make it. Said it was good for the body and the spirit.” _You have no idea just how **good** it is._ Felix grinned at the explanation, silently thanking Changbin’s aunt for teaching him to prepare the tea.

         After they were done eating, Felix worked side by side with Changbin to finish washing the dishes before they headed to the office room to check on the mandrake poison. The vials were boiling, but not to the point that the substance leaked out, the stems and leaves void of any color, slowly withering.

         “Do you think my poison vial is done?” Felix inquired, sitting down in Changbin’s seat and peering closer to the vial, taking in the bright green color. He watched as Changbin used a pair of tweezers to extract the withered parts of the mandrake, placing them on a silver plate for later observations.

         “If you placed them before you came last night, there’s a change they over-boiled, but it’s still fine. I bet Jisung’s going to be excited.”

         “Oh yeah! Ever since I knew him, he was obsessed with poisons and other stuff like that.” Even back in the Fairy Realm, Jisung took classes regarding poisons, even apprenticing under a great alchemist to find out more. During that period of time, Jisung rarely came home, and when he did, he would collapse out of exhaustion in his bed, sleeping the whole day away. If anyone else was home during that time, he felt even better because he could cuddle up to whoever was home and absorb energy, replenishing his.

         The sun outside peeked through the clouds, sending a ray of  sunshine straight across the office room, a small part of it lighting the right side of Felix’s head, his golden hair glowing, and for a second, Changbin thought that he saw his eyes shimmer golden as well, waves of fire burning dancing along his pupil. It made Changbin freeze, stuck on that image that seemed to be burned on his retina. In that moment, he saw flashes of images similar, something darker as well, a circle of light engulfing him and then, he was somewhere else. He lost his footing, stumbling a little and falling against the table, a hand clutching at his forehead. Felix was up in an instant, clutching at his forearms, face quite close to his as he inquired what was wrong.

         “I…it’s nothing, thought I remembered something but then, this sudden pain crept up and…gah.” Changbin groaned as another wave of pain hit his head, making him frown and curl in on himself even more. Felix knew what this was. His memories were blocked. But why? And who dared to instill a memory block? Every shaman and witch that dared to do so was sentenced to certain death, the nature marking them as outcasts and taking away all of their powers. Were Changbin’s memories worth the life of a witch? He didn’t care about that now, not when Changbin was in pain.

         Taking advantage of the fact that the other had his eyes closed, Felix moved his hands from the other’s biceps and to his temples, warmth flowing through him and into Changbin. He was really glad that Jisung and Jeongin had managed to create a charm that would maintain his glamour, always wearing it around his neck. Several minutes later, Changbin felt nothing of the pain that he had felt, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Felix smiling softly, almost as if he was trying not to.

        “There, better?” Changbin stared at the other.

         “Are you magical?” It made Felix freeze to the bottom of his core, that simple question wrecking his being. How foolish could he be to simply use magic on Changbin when he was awake and could figure stuff out for himself. Chan’s lessons regarding humans came back, and he remembered him saying once that when a human did something incredible to or for another human, one of the sayings that were used was: _are you magical._ Felix took a leap of faith.

         “Hah, I have my ways.” Changbin thanked him quietly, and after almost half an hour spent talking about what they would do that day, Changbin headed to his room to change so that he could go out afterwards and buy the products on the list that Minho left for him, while Felix announced that he would be going back to his dorm to check up on the poisons.

****

         The L7L café was busier than normal for a Wednesday morning, Seungmin and Minho running around to get all the orders in check, Siege even helping out at some point. With the customers waiting in line and the kitchen rumbling with noises of pots clacking and machines working, Minho didn’t even notice Jisung until the other was right in front of him and he was asking _What can I get you_ in the usual customer-targeted way.

         “Nothing, I just came to see you.” The customers behind Jisung groaned, trying to make him order or move. “Quite a busy morning you have, eh?” Minho looked behind Jisung to see the fidgeting customers.

         “Yeah, quite busy. How about you take a seat right over there and I’ll come to you once I’m done here, alright?” Jisung nodded, way too energetically for an early morning. “Seungmin! Table 7, Frappe with side dish of pancakes with chocolate and strawberries!”

         “On it!” It took almost an hour until all the customers were taken care of and the orders were prepared. Minho dropped down in the seat across from Jisung, still panting from all the work. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and lips pulled into a tired smile, and Jisung almost wanted to coo at how cute the other looked.

         “So, how come you decided to pass by my humble workplace?”

        “Well, I finished my poison early in the morning and had nothing to do, so I wanted to go and see you. I was also curious about how you work around here you know? Since I never stayed to watch any of the other workers here.”

        “And why am I an exception, might I ask?” Jisung blushed, making Minho snicker. Offended, the other punched Minho in the shoulder, making him laugh louder. Somewhere along his break, Seungmin came by their table and dropped two drinks, smiling mischievously at Minho, making him shake his head incredulously.

        “I heard that there will be a party two weeks from now, sort of a welcome for the new students. Supposedly, Chan is involved with the preparations since he is a third year. Man, it must be hard for him to deal with all the paperwork and stuff.”

        “Can’t we help?”

        “He won’t allow us to. Something about ‘I am a third year, it’s my duty’, so nope, no chance to help him.”

        “Who else is going?”

        “Dunno really. I guess if I am going, Felix is going too, and probably Hyunjin and Jeongin too. Will you come? I mean, you and Seungmin and Changbin, obviously.” Jisung laughed awkwardly after the last sentence, making Minho almost laugh again, though he contained himself.

        “Of course I’ll come. A party is always the best at the beginning of the year when you know no one and you just wander around.”

        “Yeah, I guess.” They sat in comfortable silence,  listening to the easy-going  chatter around the café.

        “Jisung…you okay? You seem a bit tired.” Jisung, who had been staring out the window for the last 2 minutes, turned to look at Minho, his eyes wide.

        “I’m…surprised you noticed. Felix is the only one that recognizes when I’m too tired. And maybe Chan but he never says anything about it, probably not wanting to worry me. I tend to stay up until really late sometimes, studying or just…practicing stuff. So I kinda lose sleep, you know.”

        “I know. Sleep is important too. We’re not immortal, you know.” Minho said, just for the hell of it, enjoying the way Jisung contained his facial expressions, trying to hide his shock and amusement.

        Since Minho’s break was a ten minutes one, he soon had to go back to work, although this time, Jisung walked with him around the counter, under Siege’s permission, closely observing everything that Minho did, even following him into the kitchen to watch him work with the machines, sometimes cracking jokes here and there or showing Minho memes from his phone.

        To his side, Minho kept on seeing Seungmin fidget around the machines, phone in hand, eyes flying from time to time over to it as it rang with every new notification. At one point, he even frowned, typing a quick response before shoving it in his back pocket.

        “Seungmin, if you have somewhere you need to go, I can handle it.” Seungmin looked up at the other, expression filled with guilt. “I mean it Minnie, I can handle the café. Maybe Jisung here might even help me.” When Minho smiled playfully, Jisung straightened his back and saluted Minho.

        “Sir yes sir!” Seungmin, finally giving in, sighed and took off his hat, thanking Minho and heading back to the staff room to change out of his uniform and into normal clothes.

        **_Hyunjin_**

_It’s okay, I guess I’ll just laze around in my room and practice some magic or something._

_**Seungmin**_

_I’m coming._

**_Hyunjin_ **

_What? Really?! Okay, meet you at Saint Pete’s crossing._

        Seungmin couldn’t help but chuckle at the other’s eagerness. Apparently, he was all alone in his dorm apartment, Jisung being, well, with Minho, Felix off to god knows where, Jeongin at the library and Chan busy with the preparations for the party, so of course he was getting bored. He had invited Seungmin on a walk around the downtown area next to the university, curious about what he would find there but not too keen on going alone ever since those attacks started going, and the only person that he thought to contact was Seungmin, though he seemed to forget that the other had to work.

        As he finished stuffing the uniform inside his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, his eyes ran over to Minho and Jisung, laughing when he saw Jisung struggle with the whipped cream machine, Minho’s nose dirty with a bit of it as if Jisung missed his target, which was the coffee cup that was halfway filled. When Minho looked at Jisung through narrowed eyes and slowly whipped away the cream, Jisung chuckled nervously, and Seungmin would’ve stayed longer to see what Minho would do, but he needed to reach Saint Pete’s crossing and in a short amount of time. Knowing Hyunjin, he was probably already there.

        Seungmin was right, more or less. Hyunjin was there, sitting down on the cement border from one of the buildings, a pixie floating around him, listening to something that he was saying, giggling from time to time. The pixie had brown ruffled hair and green eyes, a black cloak over his clothes, hood covering the sharp ears and wings, the pixie using wind magic to float.

        “Ah, Seungmin!” Hyunjin shouted when he noticed him, raising his hand up in the air and waving at him, the pixie running over. It floated around Seungmin before it settled in his hair, gripping at his brown locks. Shockingly, he felt the telltale warmth of magic and then, he saw his hair, reddish locks brushing against his eyelashes. He gasped, a hand reaching up to drag the locks so he could see them better, Hyunjin coming closer to him with a skip in his step, eyes glinting with amusement.

        “Yeah, Groovy tends to do that to anyone new that he likes. Groovy, this is Seungmin.” Groovy nodded and murmured in high pitch, moving against Seungmin hair. The pixie lost his balance and fell, grabbing with his fingers at Seungmin’s locks, and suddenly, Seungmin was eye to eye with the green orbs that belonged to the pixie; a lopsided smile was sent his way before hands picked Groovy up gingerly and took him away from Seungmin. “Red really suits you.”

        “Yeah, I guess. Though, I still prefer my dragon skin color more.”

        “Will I ever get to see you shifted?”

        “Maybe.” Seungmin answered with a gentle smile, tightening his backpack straps so that they fit snuggly against his shoulder. “So, where is this place that you wanted to see?”

        “Just a little ways down that street. Come on! It’s gonna be awesome, I assure you.” Seungmin followed Hyunjin down the road, only to discover that the area was mostly inhabited by Fae Folk, lots of changelings living in there as well. It was a surprise that no one ever questioned the quarters that seemed to always disappear off the map, or that no one seemed to get inside, only passed it.

        “Wow, you never mentioned that this was a Fae Folk Quarters. I thought it was just a downtown alley.”

        “Yeah, well, I had no idea either. I guess this really will be interesting. I hear that quarters like this are always used by renegade fairies or exiled ones, although we never came to such a quarter.”

        “Then how did you manage to live in the human realm without the help of one?”

        “Woojin. He helped us through everything. Welcomed us into his home and helped us find one for ourselves in the forest at the base of Cheonggyesan Mountain, helped us get accustomed to the human lands and language. He was our savior.” They passed a Selkie bar from where music came blasting, girls dancing on tables and singing their hearts out, orders flowing through, the stench of alcohol reaching their noses faster than anything else. It was so powerful, that it made Seungmin’s eyes shift. It had been a long time since he drank and danced with the Selkies in the White Mountains and enjoyed the warmth of the hearth that they always brought to life. Further into the alley, they passed by jewelry shops, markets and beauty stores, cafés and restaurants with thousands of different dishes that were made purely for those belonging to the Fae Folk, small groups of what appeared to be students and others walking down or staying close to apartment entrances, smoking or simply talking amongst themselves, bottles of juice and cleansed water grasped between their fingers, glamours stripped down, revealing their true natures. The wards that defended the quarters were strong, almost as strong as Jeongin’s wards, and warm, safe.

        At the end of the alley, the ward was still ongoing, and it only took them five second to realize that this neighborhood was stretching down to several more alleys, all rounding up to a town square, filled with people that were surveying every laid-out table. They even passed by a demon hunter table, where pieces of demon body and jewels filled with dark energies were sold. They stayed away from that table in particular.

        “Welcome, welcome! This is Abhur Jaba, come and take a look to the trinkets brought from the end of the Dark Realm! Few have been there, and even fewer returned to tell the tale. Come, before Abhur Jaba will leave the Crimson Sea District and head for another quarter!” Hyunjin looked in the direction from where the boisterous voice was coming, only for Seungmin to grab his hand and steer him away. He hadn’t even realized it when he started to gravitate towards that table.

        “We should stay away from Abhur Jaba. He’s a gambler and a low warlock that would back down for nothing from getting his hand on a fairy and a companion pixie. By the way, you should hide Groovy around here. We don’t know just how safe this place is.” Hyunjin heeded Seungmin’s warning and hid Groovy in his jacket compartment, making sure that the pixie could breathe properly and not be squished.

        “Oh, but I assure you, this place is the safest you will find for fairies and changelings alike in the human realm. Do not let pestering merchants destroy that idea.” A velvety voice rang from behind them, making Seungmin turn around sharply. He was met with a tall woman, dressed in an elegant red dress crusted with jewels of all colors, a dark red robe hanging loosely from her shoulders, belt keeping it in place. Her hands were covered with gloves made of hardened leather, also red in color, claws extending from beneath the material. She had a thick layer of makeup, though it only enhanced the natural beauty that she was gifted with and did not make it all look unnatural. Her raven hair was pulled up in a twisted bun, long fringes of hair framing her face, beads hanging from the left one. She was smiling warmly at the two, staff held loosely between her fingers. “My name is Blutmund, though people call me Blutige. I am the shaman that defends this quarter and is maintaining the ward around it. Those merchants are only allowed in the Samarium Market so that we could get some profit, I happen to hate Abhur Jaba as well. Threatened a cousin of mine once and tried to steal his wings; he should be happy that I allowed him entry in here again.”

        “It surprises me that you did.” Seungmin added, already feeling a bit better now that he knew she detested Abhur Jaba just like he did.

        “I have a big heart. One of my friends told me that it will be the death of me. I wonder how Azurblau is doing.” It passed through Seungmin’s mind that she was talking about Minho, whom other people called Azurblau, although he couldn’t say anything with Hyunjin around. He couldn’t expose Minho like that. Or…maybe he could.

        “I traveled with Azurblau for quite a while, though I never heard him talking about you.”

        “Ohh, a companion of his. Then we shall speak later when the stars have sealed over.”

        “The stars?”

        “Yes. There’s a time around here when the sky turns dark and nothing can be heard anymore. I do not wish anyone to hear about him, since any piece of information regarding Azurblau could put him in danger. That includes you, water fairy. You might not understand why, but the lesser you know about Azurblau, the better.” Hyunjin wanted to protest, but when he saw Seungmin’s serious expression, he kept his mouth shut.

        “Come with me. I want us to speak more.” Blutige smiled gently at the two of them and waved them over with her hand, turning around and heading towards a tall house that sat right in the middle of the town square. The interior was decorated the way old landlords decorated their castles during war-time, lamps fueled with gasoline hung from the walls, red light engulfing every chamber, chandeliers hung from the ceiling, paintings of the old war and others littering the walls, the tapestry, a maroon one with white lines. The floors were covered with soft fur-like carpets, white ones that seemed to stretch as long as the eye could see. Only after they stepped inside, they realized that the house was magical, the way Chan’s truck was, the halls going further than space should allow them to.

        Hyunjin and Seungmin were led to Blutige’s office, a room filled with massive bookshelves, a heavy bureau right in the middle, two chairs in front of it, underneath them, a white puffy bear-pelt. Blutige sat down in front of her desk, inviting the two boys to sit as well as she took out a bottle of wine from underneath her table, three glasses appearing in front of them magically.

        “I cannot drink wine.” Hyunjin spoke softly, gathering Blutige’s attention. She smiled.

        “I guess you family leader doesn’t allow you to yet, does he? It won’t hurt you, but if you insist, I shall change your drink.”

        “It’s not really that, I just don’t like it.”

“What would you like then?”

        “Water will suffice, thank you.” Blutige nodded and while the wine was poured into his cup, it turned to water. Her glass and Seungmin’s was soon filled with blood-red wine.

        “Now, what are you two doing in here? I never saw you around. I heard about a new exiled family from 110 years ago, but I never had the opportunity to meet you. When I heard that you were exiled, that the great warrior SKZ family, the defenders of the Fairy Realm, were exiled, I had hoped you would come here in search of refugee, but I guess you handled it all on your own. I respect you for that strength.” Out of instinct, Hyunjin bowed his head lightly, acknowledging her words. “And you, Skyger, I never met any of your kind that smelled like earth and fire. What are you?” Hyunjin looked at Seungmin, wondering what Skyger meant, but just as soon as he thought that, the shaman looked at him. “My apologies. Skyger is the term we use for the people that fly up in the sky. This time meaning dragons.” Hyunjin nodded, a small blush tainting his cheeks.

        “I am…ummm…” Seungmin didn’t quite know how to say everything and avoid Hyunjin hearing it. He felt lost and Blutige saw that. Just then, the sky turned dark and suddenly, he was no longer in the office room, but across the market in a secluded area. Hyunjin found himself in another place as well, up on the hill that was right next to the market, watching the darkness unfold and listening to the songs that were sang near the fountain. He knew that Seungmin was with Blutige, but he still worried for him.

        “Now, you can speak freely, Skyger.” Blutige was holding him, keeping him from falling. The darkness was alluring in some way, hypnotizing.

        “I was trapped in the Dark Realm ever since I reached the age of a century. No one ever told me that I was something rare, something that wasn’t even supposed to be alive since fire-breathing dragons were long extinct and their unstable personalities made them dangerous. I was born in the Fairy Realm and enjoyed it to its fullest until I was kidnapped and a curse was placed upon me; that stopped  me from shifting back until I met Azurblau…eh…Minho. He saved me from whatever curse was unleashed upon me and freed me. He needed a way out from the Dark Realm, but I was too weak to save him. At one point, he was captured again, and I swear I can still hear his screams from that night.”

        “I remember that night. I was there when that happened, managed to sneak him out and treat his wounds. Those demons were as barbaric as ever. Almost captured me too. We had been travelling together by that time, trying to find a way out. I always felt guilty for managing to get out of there. I was a high shaman priestess in there, you know. But I hated it. I wanted out, wanted to be free, and when Minho finally tried to save me, his plan went down-hill. I tried to help, but he…he pushed me through the portal and I never saw him again.” Seungmin listened to her story, until he was urged to continue.

        “After that, three years passed until he found me again, and this time, I was trapped working for a lord house that belonged to a higher demon and his dark fairy family. They were awful, those years. I had no one to turn to, but then, Minho ran by me in a market when I was shopping, and he was so happy to see me again. He felt repulsed by what the demon did to me, enslaving me like that, so he decided to risk his life again and save me. Save me he did and we managed to run away, and this time, just as a group of demons were about to kill him, I managed to shift of my own will and carry us across the sky and out of the Dark Realm. That was almost 400 years ago. Minho is hell-bent on defending me all the time, saying that he can never repay me enough for getting him out of there, but he never realizes that I owe him just as much, no matter how much I tell him  that he saved me too.” Blutige’s eyes turned sadder the further he got into the story, her rainbow irises filling with tears by the end. Seungmin numbly felt arms going around him, hugging him and murmuring that those years are long gone by and Azurblau would never allow him to get taken again.

        “And Azurblau? Are you still with him?”

        “Yes. We live together. We go to university together. We’re safe.” Blutige nodded, a smile finally reappearing on her face, and in that moment, it didn’t matter for Seungmin just how old she was: she looked like a child, happy to hear that her friend was safe. Seungmin found it in himself to smile as well.

        The darkness was lifted, and suddenly, he was back in the office room, Hyunjin next to him, a smile on his face.

        “You look quite happy. Where were you transported?”

        “Near the fountain. The songs were amazing.” Blutige smiled proudly, her hands forming a sphere of water through which they could see said fountain.

        “In that fountain, sadly, two mermaids passed into the afterlife, peacefully, but somehow, I managed to save their souls.” The image in the water sphere shifted, two beautiful mermaids swimming around, harps in their hands, golden hair flowing around them like a halo. “They enjoy singing for us during the dark time, and during the night. We call it the Soul Fountain. It’s a marker for us to know our way around the Crimson Sea District.”

        “That’s amazing.” Seungmin looked at Hyunjin, the way his eyes glistened with joy, the way his heart beat faster and his smile widened. Seungmin felt his own eyes widen when he realized just how handsome Hyunjin was. A cough from Blutige gathered his attention, making him blush when he saw the mischievous gaze with which she was regarding him. “I wanted to ask you something, but the darkness came faster than I expected. How did you get here and changed a normal district into a Fae Folk one?”

        “Well, you see, for a while, I was trapped in the Dark Realm under the chains of a greater demon. Azurblau, a shaman just like me, saved me and sent me to the human realm through a portal. I wandered around for almost thirty years, before I came across a family that belonged with the Sangvines, an old tribe of fairies that have the ability to heal with their saliva almost any wound. They were being attacked by a group of powerful demons, but I couldn't allow them to get injured while I stood idly by, so I stepped between them and the demons. It was a fight that would've probably killed me, but despite my wounds, I fought them away until I was sure that the family was safe. They took me in and healed me, fed me and gave me a roof under my head. I had no name until I came by them. They were the ones to give me the name Blutmund; they said that the name suited me because I kept on fighting despite bleeding a lot, and because I kept cursing a lot while they stitched me up. After I gathered enough strength, I set out to search for a Fae Folk Quarters so I could settle in and not be a burden anymore for the Sangvines. To my surprise, there were no quarters around there, so I decided to take it upon myself and create a district, a safe haven for all the Fae Folk that deserted or was exiled so they would have a place to retreat to.” The two boys took in Blutige's story, fascinated by her courage and wit. Not many could have the strength to create and maintain such a beautiful safe haven for those belonging to the Fae Folk.

        “Could you tell us more about the tribes that you know? We never heard of the Sangvines before.”

        “The Sangvines are a tribe of elder fairies that were blessed by a serpent deity with the ability to heal with their saliva, although they were extinct for a long time now. The last of the Sangvines that I know of is hidden off somewhere, and I never bothered to search for him while he chose to remain in the shadows. The Foxes, or the Kitsune tribe of elder fairies was blessed by a warrior deity with impressive skills in battle and strategy, but they were also cursed with the blood that belonged to the beasts from the Blue Mountains, mischievous changeling foxes with great intelligence and wisdom. These fairies could also shift into their fox alternatives, although the longer they stayed like that, the more they lost their human traits. I met once a fox that had been trapped for almost a century in their fox body, and they couldn't even speak the elder language anymore, only the pixie language and the one that foxes learned. The last of the tribes that I know of to be quite big, is The Phoenix tribe, filled with fire fairies blessed by the deity of love and cursed with the blood of the Phoenix. Should a fire fairy from this tribe unleash the Phoenix that lies dormant within them, they would burn out until there was nothing left, should no one stop them. I guess that there are other tribes out there as well, but these are the ones that I know the most about. I hope I satisfied your curiosity.” Blutige smiled warmly at Hyunjin and Seungmin, glad to see their eyes wide with wonder and excitement. They nodded vigorously, exclaiming that they were more than happy to hear about those three tribes. “Seeing as you are here for the first time, how about you take your time to look around more? There is an old antique book store that I suggest you check. It's just past the fountain and a little to the left. You'll like it there. Unfortunately, being the one that protects this place also means that I am the one that takes care of the security and order around here, and I gotta have a meeting in about five minutes with the other leaders around here. I assume you would be staying until nightfall?”

        “We would like to, but classes start in the afternoon for us, so we need to get back to the university by then.”

        “That's quite alright. I hope you have a great time here while you stay. You are more than welcomed here. _Tell Azurblau that I wish to see him.”_ Seungmin heard the last sentence projected into his mind, making him nod subtly towards Blutige, making sure Hyunjin didn't see.

        As soon as they were out of the house that seemed to be taken out from a child's fairytale, they followed Blutige's instructions to the antique book shop, curious about what they would find in there.

        “The alley that led to the left from the fountain was a crooked one, narrower than the other streets, but also warmer, if that made sense. There were strings attached from window to window high above them, clothes hung out to dry. Barrels filled with water and other stuff were lining the walls as well, the pavement no longer made out of solid ground but of rocks, skillfully sealed together to create an almost straight road. All the way into the back, there were apartment blocks, at the bottom of the alley a big shop with a wooden sign that read: Marolynn's Books. The name was attractive enough, just like the outer aspect of the shop. The walls were made out of red, rusty colored bricks, the door, a heavy piece of wood, a plaque with the name scratched onto it skillfully hung just above it, the way a sign would be hung up in a game above the door to an inn.

        They stepped inside, looking for the librarian, but there was no one in sight. The lights were still on so the shop couldn't have been closed, although there was no sign of the lady that was in charge of it. Hyunjin started walking ahead, down towards the hallways created by the humongous bookshelves that ran all the way towards the back, or what Seungmin thought was the back.   

        “Hello boys.” An old voice resounded from behind them, making them both scream and turn around as fast as they could. An old lady with wrinkles on her face and a toothless warm smile was looking at them, hands outstretched in a half bow, though she couldn't really bend her back. What shocked the two the most was that she was a hundred percent human. “Welcome to my antique book shop and hiding place for injured Fae Folk. Do you need shelter or just to look around?”

        “We...it's our first time here, so we thought to check out your shop. Actually, Blutige was the one to recommend it to us.”

        “Ahh, young Blutige. She is always as nice as I know her to be. You're welcomed to look around at every book, but remember, I am not responsible if you stumble over a secret too hard for you to bear. Keep that in mind.” The old lady's voice was not threatening in any way, just worried.

        “We will be careful.” When Seungmin hesitated upon moving along with Hyunjin to check out the shop, the old lady frowned at him, a question in her eyes. “You're human. How can you be in a Fae Folk Quarter?”

         “Almost fifty years ago, I found Blutige on my doorstep. She was injured and cradling a young dragon baby in her arms. When she realized that I could see her, she figured it out that I was a human with an affinity for magic. I welcomed her into my home and even offered my energy to help her save the young dragon. It was hard work, but we managed to save the little one. I spent the whole night talking to Blutige, telling her everything about my life, how my parents abandoned me because they thought that I was weird, how I was always an outcast because I tended to talk to the nature spirits and people saw it as talking to myself, and many other things that led to me living separately from humans. As a reward for my kind heart Blutige offered me refuge in her home, right here, in the Crimson Sea District. That's how I got to be here despite being a simple human with an affinity towards magic. Now I'm in charge of this beautiful shop and the basement underneath it where I shield those of the Fae Folk that are in danger.”

        “You're amazing.” Hyunjin suddenly spoke, before he slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. He bowed and apologized for being disrespectful, making Seungmin chuckle at him.

        “I think I like you two. It's alright, I know that you are probably centuries older than I am, so it seems a little unfair for you to bow to a child like me.”

        “You might be a child in age, but I am sure that your knowledge precedes you.”

        “You speak wise words Skyger. Now, off you go. You need to check the shop while I need to read through some letters. Enjoy your walk. It'll be a long one.” As the lady finished talking, Hyunjin and Seungmin turned around, realizing that the bookshelves really went down towards the back for a long, long way, thousands of books most probably stacked up on the shelves. The floor tiles were of a light cream color, black paw patterns laying here and there, the walls painted a pale green, the bookshelves darker in color, probably due to the heavy wood from which they were made of.

        They waltzed slowly through the bookshelves, eyes taking in ever title from the books covered in leather, the letters written in gold along their spines. Seungmin, not managing to contain his excitement, brushed his hand against every single book that came along the way as he started to walk faster through the bookshelves.

        “Seungmin, come over here for a bit.” Hyunjin's voice echoed through the antique store, so Seungmin walked toward the source using his ears and not his eyes. He found Hyunjin at a table, a book opened before him, and when Seungmin got closer, he realized that the book was about supernatural creatures and was written by a human. It was also opened to the dragon section. “How about we read through this and see what's real and what's not? Seeing Hyunjin's wide, curious eyes made Seungmin's heart do a little flip. He sighed and took a seat next to the other, whom gingerly took hold of the book and turned it around so both of them could see it.

        “Okay, here we go. _Dragons are thought to be mysterious creatures, their ways and secrets hidden from ages ago. What we do  know about them is that their skin is nearly impossible to pierce,  and none  of our weapons could do it.”_

        “That’s halfway true. My skin is impenetrable to almost everything except demon claws. I’m… really vulnerable to those. My skin is full of scars from them.”

        “I’m sure it’s still amazing.” Seungmin smiled gratefully at the other. Sometimes, he even forgot how he looked without the multiple battle scars. “ _Their eyes are reptilian like, golden and green in color,_ well, that they got right, _and they can breathe fire. The fire breathing ones are the most common-_ “

        “Wrong. I’m really rare.” Seungmin said proudly, eyes glinting maliciously towards the book. “And it brought me a lot of danger.”

        “Well, this book can’t have it all. _The dragons can control the four elements of the nature and control their body temperature.”_

        “I can indeed control my body temperature, though I don’t have control over the four elements, only over two, earth and fire.”

        “How _do_ you spit fire?”

        “I have a gland in my throat that is more prominent when I am shifted: a flammable liquid fills the gland over time, and when  I need to  burn something, a sack that resides on the left side of my gland breaks free and releases a substance that reacts with the flammable liquid, and boom, fire.”

        They spend almost two hours in that library, as soon as they were done with the subject about dragons, passing onto fairies, Seungmin laughing whenever he saw the tiny drawings and compared them to the real thing. No tiny fairy had Hyunjin’s muscles and handsome face.

        “Oh no!”

        “What?”

        “I forgot to finish the papers that Ms. Rudwig gave to me to finish for her.”

        “And?”

        “I needed to give them to her today in…”  Hyunjin looked at his phone. “…thirty minutes!”

        “Then we should hurry back! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!

        “I forgot!”

****

       

        “We should go get some ice cream and then go back to Uni.” Jisung suggested as he and Minho hung out around the entrance of the park close by the university. Minho shift ended faster than expected since there were no more customers, so both he and Jisung went out to enjoy the suddenly nice weather.

        “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” They stopped by an ice cream parlor, Minho insisting that he paid, though Jisung still sneaked in his back pocket the money for his ice cream, not really wanting to let the other pay for him.

        “I’m betting Mr. Raynolds is going to roast every student in our class that won’t bring in their homework.”

        “How do you know that for sure?” They were strolling through the park now, along the edge of the fountain and shaded by the tall trees.

        “Because, Chan told me stories about Mr. Raynolds while I was still in high school and he was in KOA, and none were pretty.”

        “Good thing we finished ours.”

        “Yeah, good thing.” And suddenly, Minho was splattered with water, his eyes closing on reflex, hand tightening around his ice cream cone. He heard Jisung chuckle, and when he peeked one eye open, he saw Jisung bent halfway towards the fountain, hand outstretched and ready to fling another set of droplets towards Minho.

        “The game is on.” Minho exclaimed, his ice cream long forgotten, eyes fixed on a new target: a soon to be wet squirrel.

****

        Jeongin was quite fond of books in general, so having one snatched right from in front of his nose didn’t sit well with him. He had been reading at his usual table, by the northern window, when he discovered that the current chapter that he was reading was spread into two volumes, so he went to search for the second volume…only for it to be snatched right form in front of him. By none other than the one and only Bang Yedam. The other feigned ignorance and ran with the book to his table, making Jeongin glare at him, offended that he was ignored.

        “Hey you, I wanted to read that!” Jeongin followed Yedam to his table, ready to spit fire, when the other smirked up at the earth fairy, and suddenly Jeongin realized what he was doing: he was trying to annoy him, get a reaction out of him. “Fine. Then I’ll wait for you to be done with it and then I’ll take it.” Jeongin huffed and sat down across from Yedam, hands crossed over his chest.

        “You really look like a fox, did anyone tell you that?” Jeongin jumped at that, the conversation that he held with Jinyoung reappearing for the umpteenth time in his mind.

        “What makes you say that?” He inquired, not really liking the way his heart beat faster in his chest when Yedam smirked at him, confident on himself.

        “Because you look like one. Your eyes, your lips, your whole posture. It all screams feline, stealthy…deadly.” Jeongin chuckled nervously, not liking where this conversation was going. “Go on, tell me that I am detestable, and that you want nothing to do with me. I don’t even know what passed through my mind that I followed you into the restroom yesterday.”

        “Why would I tell you that you are detestable?” Jeongin was utterly confused by now.

        “Why? Well, I’m sure you can sense it. Come on, tell me, what am I?”

        “You’re a fairy. Of the Sangvines tribe. Though you lack the scent of blood.”

        “And why do you think that is?” Jeongin remained silent, not knowing the answer to that. “Aww, come on…fine, I’ll tell you. It’s because my parents are both ex-Sangvines turned demons. They ran away from the dark realm so that they could raise me in peace. Didn’t quite work out.”

        “So you’re a half fairy?” Yedam was surprised by the calmness with which he spoke. He was expecting a totally different reaction, one where Jeongin would get up and leave, calling him a monster, or where he spat at him and cursed him, saying that he was a disgrace for the entire Fae Folk. But…that was not the case. Not with Jeongin. Yedam felt himself relax, all the defensive bone in his body going soft.

        “I am a full fairy.” His voice sounded so tired and done with everything that it worried Jeongin. He forgot what he was reading about. He forgot that he even needed the book that was resting underneath the hands of the boy in front of him. He forgot it all.

        “Why…” Jeongin was afraid to ask. A look from Yedam made him ask further. “…why were you so sure that I would detest you?”

        “I knew this was coming.” Yedam sighed heavily, leaning on his elbows, fingers ruffling his dark locks. “Ever since I was little and my parents were killed by demon hunters, I had to fend for myself, and everyone that sensed my true lineage bullied me. Sometimes, the bullying was nothing more than words thrown my way, curses, but other times…there were more awful things. I learned not to trust any other fairy, but I guess I felt something that called me to you. I don’t know.” Jeongin was quite shocked, not really getting where the other was coming from; he did get that he suddenly felt a wild rage for all those fairies out there that attacked others of their own kind for reasons as such. It was one of the motives that Jeongin felt it in his blood, like his duty, to defend hybrids. When Chan had brought up the idea of defending and shielding hybrids, he was more than willing, finally having a way to fight against the fairies that no longer understood their own kind, and that the elders sometimes approved of.

        “You should never worry about any of that coming from me. I’m not like them.”

        “I noticed that already.” The glint was back in his eyes, and Jeongin found it hard to maintain the eye contact.

        “You should…finish with the chapter. I need the book too.” Yedam smile at him this time, a small one that spoke thousands of words, before he set to reading the chapter. Meanwhile, Jeongin took out his phone and started to play Piano Tiles, swearing underneath his breath at times whenever he missed.

        “Here, it’s all yours.” Yedam said after maybe half an hour, pushing the book in Jeongin’s direction. When the other extended his hand to catch it, he also caught Yedam’s hand, making him jump and look at the other, who was already watching him. It’s easy to say why Jeongin hurriedly grabbed the book and rushed back to his table, heart racing.

****

        “You’re sure you don’t need any help? We’re free after classes.” Felix insisted when he found Chan in the middle of the campus, a stack of papers in his arms. He could barely see where he was going.

        “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Another third year is going to help me, and Woojin said that he would be passing by so I’ll be fine.” Chan explained, though it felt as if the mountain of pages was talking, balancing the papers on his other hand. Changbin, being the ever so helpful friend, rushed to his side and grabbed half of the papers, and suddenly they could see Chan’s eyes.

        “What is the theme for this party?”

        “Apparently, the theme is gothic in origins, or something along those lines.” The sun was shining by now, the remaining leaves that were still green and the grass basking in it. They stayed underneath the shadows of a high column, surveying the whole campus area.

        “Sooo…we have to dress in all black. I guess Changbin  won’t need to change at all.”

        “Haha, very funny kiddo.” Felix always liked teasing Changbin, because he always ended up laughing. Chan was smirking as well, eyes mischievous.

        “Is that Hyunjin?” Changbin asked all of a sudden, pointing at something behind Felix. He quickly turned around, only to see that, indeed, Hyunjin was sprinting across the campus, don’t run sign be damned, a few papers grasped tightly between his fingers. At one point, he had to evade a group of gossiping girls, and what other way to do that than by jumping over the cement ledge that separated the veranda from the campus ground, feet hitting the pavement right next to one of the benches with force.

        “Is he helping you with papers?”

        “Gods no, he most probably forgot to take the papers to Ms. Rudwig. It would be a mess if Hyunjin helped at this part of the party preparations.”

        “What part?”

        “Décor.” Felix cringed, eyes still following Hyunjin as he disappeared inside the right wing. He felt a knock on his shoulder, making him turn back to look at Chan. “Wanna check out the library after the first class?” Felix shrugged, taking the papers from Chan’s hands and then the ones from Changbin’s, holding all of them with one hand and away from his body. _I was always better at equilibrium spells, don’t deny it._ He sent over the bond towards Chan, the other making a face at him, while Changbin stared with amusement at the two.

        “Come on, where do you need these?”

        “The room where the Sudent Council holds meetings.”

        “Wait…you’re in the Student Council?!” Both Changbin and Felix shouted, eerily in sync. They looked at each other, and then turned back towards Chan, eyes wide.

        “Heh, I guess I didn’t tell you. I’m the Council President.”


	18. Krey de Lav

 

        It was absolutely not their intention to stay out ‘till morning, but Shiaj found it so comfortable to just speak with Lila, that he lost track of time. They understood each other so well, and not just because they were equally as old, but because they were of the same race, healing pixies of demonic descent trying to survive in a world that tried to get rid of them. Lila, Shiaj found out later, was bound to Changbin’s aunt through a contract, charged with Changbin’s safety. That was the main reason why she had been so agitated earlier the other day when she found Changbin missing.

        The time grew closer for the fairies to start their classes, Shiaj knew, so he tried to hurry back to the dorm with Lila as much as possible. The weather grew warmer the more time passed, making it quite difficult to fly through the sky without feeling your skin heat up uncomfortably so.

        “ **Stop dragging on and speak, you lazy bastard.”** Shiaj stopped and leaned towards the direction from which the rough, demonic voice was coming. Lila, having heard it as well, stopped next to him, ears quirked upwards.

        **“They are defenseless right now from what I know. If we wanna go to Busan, we should go now, while those two pestering warrior fairies are away.”**

**“I doubt there are only two but that’s okay. The sooner we deal with them, the sooner we can move on to-“** The voice was blocked all of a sudden, and it took Shiaj less than a second to realized that their glamor had been repaired just then. He wanted to shout with anger, disappointed that he didn’t get to hear the rest of the conversation when he had a feeling that it was more than important.

        “I cannot believe this!” He raged, hitting the clouds at his feet furiously. His eyes burned brighter than before, and when Lila flew in front of him, she saw that his cheeks were red as well, hands clenched tightly into fists.

        “Shiaj, I’m sure what we heard was important as well. We should hurry back and catch them before they go to class. Maybe Chan will know what to do.” Shiaj hesitated for a moment, eyebrows furrowed and mind racing as he felt the calming touch on his forearm, before he nodded and followed Lila through the pure clouds.

        The campus was as rowdy as ever, voices turning into a blur the more you tried to listen. There was no sign of Changbin or Felix, making Shiaj sigh in frustration.

        “I can find them.” Lila spoke softly, flying higher up in the sky until Shiaj could no longer see her. Seconds passed before she dived back down in the direction of the greenhouse, wings sharp against her back. Shiaj followed, feeling adrenaline rush through him. He never went quite as fast as she appeared to be used to.

        Inside the greenhouse, Changbin, Chan and Hyunjin were resting on the wooden bench that sat at the foot of a tall tree that was blocking all the sunlight. While Changbin and Chan were breathing normally, conversation flowing softly between them, Hyunjin was grasping tightly at the edge of the bench, still breathing heavily as if he had run a marathon.

        Staying out of view so Changbin wouldn’t see him, he flew behind Chan, and when he was close enough, pulled him by his ear, making him jump and cover it, Changbin frown in return at him. Luckily for them both, Changbin’s phone rang, distracting him, giving enough time for Shiaj to animatedly express the urgency with which he needed to speak with Chan.

        “Umm…Changbin, I’ll see you in class, okay? Hyunjin, good luck with your classes.” Chan said, voice a bit reluctant at first, eyes following Shiaj out of the greenhouse. Changbin’s eyes didn’t move from his phone, nodding once to let Chan know that he heard him. Lila sat down against Changbin’s shoulder, peering at his phone, and Shiaj could’ve sworn that Changbin’s shoulders lost some of their tension when she did that.

        “What happened?”

        “Lila and I were walking around outside when we heard a group of demons talk about attacking Busan, although their glamor closed again before I could hear their next steps. I’m sorry I couldn’t hear the rest.” If Shiaj’s face didn’t give away the guilt that he felt, his wings did, folding themselves against his body, lying limply against his back. Chan tsked and jabbed Shiaj gently in his shoulder with a finger, making the other’s eyes fly up to meet his.

        “Just because you didn’t manage to hear something doesn’t mean that I would regard you any differently. Stop thinking that we would ever give up on you just because you are of demonic descent, yeah? You are dear to us, and nothing will change that.” In the very beginning, when Shiaj stumbled against their house, the fear that they would attack him with harsh words and banish him was more than present, almost engulfing him completely. It all changed when Felix stumbled outside and felt Shiaj’s aura, approaching him rather than running away. _You feel familiar,_ was all that Felix said to him, and although it made no sense at all, Shaij collapsed on the ground, emotions overwhelming him. They offered him shelter, food, company, and when they told him that he could leave whenever he wanted to and that he owed them nothing, he found that he didn’t want to leave.

        “If those demons are planning to attack Busan, then I might as well send a message to the warrior fairies from there.”

        “They were also saying that two warrior fairies were missing as well, making it the perfect time for them to attack.”

        “Ah, well then…they’re in for a surprise. Jungkook and Jimin returned to Busan just this morning, so their information is all wrong.” Chan’s grin was mischievous, and as he fished out his phone to send the message, Shiaj saw his eyes glint with the fierceness of a leader, a warrior.

        “Where’s Felix?”

        “With Woojin in his office; he kept on insisting that I needed a break, so he practically stole the papers from me.”

        “Typical.” Shiaj threw one last look at the greenhouse where Changbin and Hyunjin were in a heated conversation, about what, he didn’t know, but by the amused expression on Lila’s face, it was most probably something funny; He saluted Chan with a small smile before he disappeared off into the campus, set on finding Felix to annoy him.

****

        As soon as the bell rang, Ms. Rudwig pushed the door open, almost as if she had been hiding behind it just to make the perfect entrance, heavy briefcase grasped securely between calloused fingers, glasses pushed high on the bridge of her nose, nails painted a sickening color of green, her maroon hair draped over her shoulder in a loose braid.

        “Good afternoon class. As you well know, I teach both Geology and Practical classes, and today happens to be your very first practical class. Before we proceed any further, please grab onto those protection goggles and put them on. If you do not want your clothes to get dirty, you should also dress those white coats draped against your chairs. Alright. Now, open your manuals to page 32, where we have Minerals and Hard Substances. Jeongin, please read the first paragraph.” Besides him, Hyunjin kept on fidgeting, almost as if something was disturbing him, making Seungmin throw questioning glances towards him from time to time. At one point, he saw Hyunjin look to his right, eyes settling somewhere in class before dropping back down to the manual. A second later, Seungmin turned sharply around, just in time to catch Ryujin’s dragon eyes, fixated on Hyunjin. When she realized that Seungmin caught her, she ignored his gaze and turned her attention back to the teacher. Seungmin didn’t like that at all.

        “It’s okay, it’s not as if she’s done anything yet.”

        “You can never be too sure around Ryujin. Take care around her.” Hyunjin nodded, and when Seungmin’s hand brushed against his, he stopped fidgeting, agitation slowly seeping away from his body.

        Their first class went by quite fast, and with very few incidents this time. Hyunjin noticed with great surprise that day the fact that Jeongin had moved seats with the girl that had been sitting next to Yedam, who became his new desk mate. Luckily for them, Ms. Rudwig allowed them to switch partners, but just because they were still in the first week of university. If they’d taken longer to change their minds, it would’ve been too late.

        During the Study Hall, most of their classmates went outside, or headed back to their dorm rooms, very few remaining inside to work on the homework that they received for tomorrow. Hyunjin was left alone at his desk while Seungmin went out to get them drinks, making it the perfect opportunity for Ryujin to drop by.

        “Hey fairy, why the long face? Scared?” Hyunjin had lied to Seungmin earlier in class when he told the other that Ryujin did nothing to him. She did. At first, they were just weird glances sent his way, but then it got to sneers and harsh words. Sometimes, if he had the misfortune to pass by her through the halls, she would either try to trip him, or grab his shoulder tightly whenever he chose to ignore her taunting words. He didn’t really get why she was so hostile towards him, when he never did anything to upset her.

        This time again, Hyunjin chose to ignore her taunting words. He knew that dragons had a short temper, so it was better to not anger her with whatever answer he would have. He would prefer his classes to go by without any event if he could avoid it. Of course, his warrior instincts were telling him to just attack her, show her who was in charge in strength and magic, but his heart told him that that was not who he was. Ryujin quickly got bored with his lack of answer and surged forward with the intention to grab him by his hoody…when a hand was shoved in between them, another grabbing Ryujin’s arm harshly.

        “What do you think you’re doing, Ryujin?” Seungmin’s voice was cold and as sharp as a knife, reptilian eyes piercing hers. When she stared for too long at him without giving an answer, Seungmin tightened his grip, making her grimace.

        “I was just talking with him.”

        “It didn’t appear like that to me.” Ryujin tried to break free from the iron grip, but it proved to be useless. “I told you this six hundred years ago and I’ll tell you again: _Stay away from what’s mine._ ” As he said that, Seungmin turned around as if to shield Hyunjin from her. Ryujin’s eyes widened, her body going rigid. When Seungmin’s hand released its grip from around her wrist, Ryujin bowed, eyes unfocused, and turned around, leaving the classroom with a hurry in her steps. Hyunjin kept looking at Seungmin with wide, surprised eyes, not really registering what had occurred right in front of him. He knew dragons to be really territorial, but he never saw one act like that in real life. And for Seungmin to say that…it made a shiver course through Hyunjin, though he didn’t know why.

        Seungmin sighed heavily and relaxed, sitting down next to Hyunjin. He extended one of the two cold water bottles towards him, their fingers brushing when Hyunjin took it from him.

        “I’m sorry about that. I just needed to get her to leave you alone and…”

        “Hey, it’s okay. Thanks.” Hyunjin smiled at the other, trying to lift Seungmin’s mood. “Although, I want to ask you something.” When Seungmin’s attention was only on him, he continued. “Why did she bow? I’m not really familiar with dragon customs and things of such.”

        “Dragons, as you may know, tend to be very territorial. When I told Ryujin that you were mine, she was forced by our laws to respect that boundary and step back. Even a fairy would back down from a fight with a territorial dragon. Ryujin knows what I’m capable of; she isn’t foolish to take me head on like that.”

        “How do you know each other?”

        “We grew up together in the Fairy Realm. Back then, we got along quite well, but something happened to her and she grew distant, avoiding me whenever I tried to help her, blaming me for stuff that happened, feeding lies to the elders…at one point, she tried to frame a friend of mine for something the she didn’t do, so I broke all ties with her. I guess she’s just looking for revenge or something.”

        “About the _mine_ part…”

        “Ahh…” Seungmin’s cheeks turned beet red, mouth opening and closing once or twice in an attempt to speak. “…if that made you uncomfortable, I apologize. I saw it fit back then to stop her-“

        “It’s okay.”

        “-and I didn’t really- Wait, what?”

        “I said that it’s okay. I’m not…uncomfortable.” Now it was Hyunjin’s turn to blush, although Seungmin had him beat at that, both of them avoiding each other’s eyes. It went unnoticed by them that they both started to smile, their eyes glistening with a hidden promise of deep friendship and maybe something more.

****

        “I want the following students to bring forward their vials with poisons: Han Jisung, Min Hyori, Bang Chan and Lee Jihoon.” They all got up, except for Lee Jihoon. The poor guy looked almost as if he wanted to throw himself out the window just so he could escape. When Mr. Raynolds’s eyes settled on him, he flinched, reluctantly getting up.

        “Sir, you see…” Jihoon tried to explain, stumbling over his words, fingers nervously grasping at the edges of his shirt. Mr. Raynolds opened his mouth, probably to question Jihoon where his homework was, when Felix shot up in his seat.

        “Sir, I know why Jihoon isn’t bringing in his homework.” Jihoon looked over to Felix, eyes wider than before, almost terrified. Mr. Raynolds focused on Felix, hands crossed in front of his chest, most likely expecting a cheap excuse. “I found this vial in the greenhouse, dropped on the ground at the base of one of the benches. It’s most likely his.” If Jihoon looked terrified earlier, he was on cloud 9 now, although the shock was yet to leave his body. Mr. Raynolds maintained eye contact with Felix for a little longer before he sighed and accepted that as Jihoon’s homework.

        Sighing heavily, Felix collapsed in his chair, eyes wide now that he realized what he just did. When he felt Changbin’s hand on his shoulder he looked up, grinning at him.

        “Told ya it would be fine.”

        “I still don’t get why you had two vials with you.”

        “You were right about the over-boiling; the poison got a higher concentration due to it, meaning that I had to dilute it and split it into two vials. Really, Jihoon was just lucky.” Changbin nodded, both of them turning their attention to their teacher who was currently explaining the correct process in which they had to prepare the poison, saying that Hyori’s poison was made well, but had a low concentration because it wasn’t left to boil enough time and because she didn’t use the correct parts from the plant.

        Felix grew to be more agitated as the hours went by, and Changbin had no idea why that happened.  He kept on looking at the clock, looking through his bag, running over to Jisung’s table, then over to Chan’s, then out on the halls, then back in the classroom. If their classroom would’ve been close to the ground, he would’ve jumped out through the window for all that Changbin knew.

        “Lix, why are you so agitated?” Felix turned to look at Changbin, eyes as wide as a deer’s caught in the lights. Chan, having heard the question, turned towards Felix, looking over his form worriedly. _Felix, did you by any chance use ethanol instead of water when you split the vial into two?_ Felix’s eyes grew wide, nodding.

        “Might’ve inhaled some alcohol, no worries though.”

        “No worries?!”

        “Shh.”

        “ _No worries?!_ You inhaled _alcohol_!” Felix chuckled nervously, lips pulling in a half smile. Changbin sighed exasperatedly and dragged his hand over his face, peeking through his fingers at Felix. “You’re unbelievable.”

        Felix turned around in his chair and placed his hands on the desk, barely keeping himself from fidgeting again. “There, see? I can stay still.” Changbin doubted that, and was proved right when Felix’s leg started to bounce really fast, although there was no sound accompanying it. Groaning, Changbin placed a hand on the other’s thigh, pushing downwards to stop the rapid movements. He was successful, although when he looked up at the other, he noticed that Felix had gone utterly still, not even his chest rising. Changbin’s hand was really warm on his thigh and it somehow felt…nice, it felt really nice and Felix was worried for his sanity. Everything turned utterly quiet for the pair, as if time stilled around them. When their eyes met, it was as if the spell was broken, making the both of them chuckle awkwardly and turn around, red dusting their cheeks.

        By the time the sun was past the school, they were done with their classes, all of them gathering in the middle of the campus to decide where they would go after classes. Chan’s phone buzzed, making him jump and reach into his back-pocket, worry that he had more papers to fill up crawling on his skin. It took him by surprise to see a message from the headmaster of the university, inviting them for a chat in his office. By the way the message was formulated, they weren’t in trouble, although Chan couldn’t help but wonder what the other wanted to do with them. Maybe it was about the party?

        “Guys, the headmaster wants to meet us, apparently.” All the small discussions around him stopped, surprised eyes turning on him.

        “We can’t come.” Minho said, gesturing to himself and Changbin. “Siege requested that we go and help him with a new load of resources, and Bambam and Yugyeom can’t handle them all on his own.”

        “I’m sure the headmaster will understand. Alright then; you guys good to go?” Affirmative nods were sent Chan’s way, making him nod in return. As soon as they saw Minho and Changbin off, they headed towards the main office where they knew the Headmaster’s Office was found. It was quiet around there, the students back in their respective room and the teachers in theirs as well. The nice secretary that rested against a leather black chair behind her desk waved them over and smiled, getting up to lead them to the Headmaster.

        “He’s been longing to see you. I bet he’s excited.” The secretary smiled warmly at them and opened the wooden door, stepping aside to allow them entry. “Right this way.”

        The Office was huge. The office desk all the way into the back, center free of any piece of furniture, a big carpet of blue and red resting against the hard wood floor. The windows were so tall, taller than the door, the lights that were nailed to the walls illuminating the way. There were at least three heavy bookshelves lining the walls behind the desk, a tall chair resting behind it. The Headmaster was resting on a velvety green sofa, legs tucked underneath him, a cup of tea nestled between his fingers, steam rising in the air. When he heard them approach, he looked up, green eyes glinting with joy. The fairies received quite the shock when they noticed the telltale signs of magic around him, the slit in his eyes and the youthfulness with which he presented.

        “I’ve been waiting so long to see you, you have no idea.” Getting up from the sofa, he approached the group, eyes taking in each of them with something akin to wonder and fondness.

        “Why were you wishing to see us?”

        “Why is obvious! I heard so many stories about you from here, in the human realm. The great Stray Kids Family, strong warriors that defended the borders to the Fairy Realm for such a long time before disappearing with no traces. Stories said you died, others that you were exiled. I never truly knew what happened since I don’t place my trust in stories that are spoken and not written with evidence.”

        “Headmaster, I didn’t know that you were a fairy. Does anyone else know?”

        “Except for the other fairies that live here and study here, no. All the humans see me as an old man with a kind smile and a walking stick beside me, not as a young man of twenty something. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself again, my apologies. I am Krey de Lav, water fairy of the Kitsune tribe. You’re welcomed to call me Krey as long as there’s no human in our presence.” Jeongin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Another fairy of the Kitsune tribe; he was no longer the only one that lived in the human realm, he had someone else from whom he could learn more. Krey’s eyes found his, sending him a wink. Jeongin felt his lips pulling into a wide smile, and when Krey invited them to take a seat at his desk, he was the first to rush over, making Krey chuckle, eyes lighting up with amusement.

        “When I received that message from you, I really wasn’t expecting this to be honest.” Chan spoke, leaning against the table on his elbows. Krey fumbled around his drawers before he sighed and sat down, upset with not finding what he was looking for.

        “Yeah, well, most students are shocked when they see that I am, in fact, not human. I remember there was once a Selkie that was coming here to study. When she met me, she passed out from the shock. It was a really shocking experience.” Felix could imagine what the poor Selkie had been feeling; when he saw the Headmaster, all young and full of power, he felt his legs grow shaky, surprised to his core by the power that he felt. Luckily, Seungmin was close to him, passing an arm around his waist to hold him upright.

        “The stories about us were right, you know. We were exiled.”

        “Wrong.”

        “I’m sorry?”

        “The stories were wrong. They spoke of you being exiled for bringing chaos to the Fairy Realm, and that isn’t true, now isn’t it?” Jisung frowned at Krey. He appeared to be angry, though most certainly not at them. When he nodded, Krey continued speaking. “Those elders most probably exiled you for a more than stupid thing, didn’t they? I experienced it first hand, so I would know.”

        “Why were you exiled?” Seungmin inquired as he sat by Hyunjin, leaning against his shoulders seeing as there were no other seats.

        “I was exiled because I broke a fight between an elder and a young fire fairy that belonged to the Phoenix tribe. The elder was going on and on about how she would end up burning completely if she used her Phoenix once more, destroying their village in return, how she was incapable of fighting on the battlefield without killing her partners and other things like that. I knew that girl personally, and she was none of the things that the elder was accusing her of being. Punched the elder, got exiled. All because the old bastard was too proud to accept the truth being shoved in his face.”

        “You mean to say that there was a fairy that could awaken and control her Phoenix? Without dying?” Hyunjin questioned, eyes going over to Felix who was not even looking at Krey, but at the big image painted on the ceiling.

        “There were.” Felix spoke softly, eyes not moving from where they were staring at the beautiful fairies dressed in armor, marching on the battlefield. His eyes were filled with sadness. “The one that you are speaking of is my great-great aunt, dead for at least three centuries. You must’ve been exiled for quite a long time, because we can no longer control our Phoenixes. After she died, in unnatural circumstances of course, the Phoenixes changed somehow, became more volatile, uncontrollable, no longer the kind and wise birds, but the vicious warriors that were meant to be long ago. They became harder to tame, and sooner rather than later, we could no longer access them without burning out, and in the end, dying.” Krey sat in silence as he listened to the fire fairy speak, his heart beating painfully in his chest. He couldn’t believe that his friend, his childhood friend was dead.

        “I’m…really sorry to hear that. I shouldn’t have brought that into discussion.” Krey bowed his head, making Felix shake his head, a saddened smile gracing his lips.

        “It’s alright Krey. I grew used to the idea that I would one day die under the claws of my Phoenix. I at least hope that I would be able to defend my family successfully until then.”

        “Stop talking like that Felix! It’s not as if we’ll allow you to get rid of us so soon.” Jeongin shouted, surprising them all. “You are the strongest fire fairy of the Phoenix tribe that I ever met and if you won’t be able to learn how to tame your Phoenix, no one ever will.” Felix regarded Jeongin with surprise, not really expecting their youngest to be so wise. He smiled, and this time, it was not a sad one, but a determined, wide smile.

        “You’re right Jeongin. I don’t know what came over me.” Krey observed the conversation between the two, the way they seemed to speak more through their eyes rather than their words. _If you ever need to hone your skills, come see me._ Krey spoke in Jeongin’s mind, knowing that the other would understand. Foxes always sensed one another, and Krey wouldn’t allow the opportunity to pass down his knowledge to someone as promising as Jeongin fly by him.

        In the end, their meeting with the Headmaster stretched out for about three hours, all of them eager to learn more about Krey and the university, Krey himself curious to learn about their family. Only when they were outside his office and were waving goodbye to him did Felix check his phone, noticing one missed call from Changbin and two messages.

**_Changbin:_ **

_Found a karaoke bar just down the street from Livander’s Tea. Wanna come? xDD_

_Ask the others too._

        “Guys, were going to a karaoke bar!” Felix announced, not leaving room for argument. The karaoke bar was medium in size, and for a week day, it was quite full. There was a big stage in the back of the karaoke bar, tables in front of it and colorful lights everywhere around. Currently, there was a girl singing to a song from a drama, melting everyone’s hearts with her voice, and if he didn’t know better, Chan would’ve believed her to be a Siren from the way her voice attracted the full attention of the humans.

        Changbin and Minho were seated at the table that was closest to the stage, drinks in front of them, with straws and little umbrellas and everything, talking with vivid gestures and wide grins. When they noticed the guys, they waved them over, shouting with excitement.

        Of course, the ones that rushed to the stage as soon as it was cleared were Changbin, Jisung and Chan, already thinking about what song they would be singing. Seeing as the atmosphere was pretty light, they decided to go along with For You, everyone in the bar roaring with excitement. At one point, before Felix finally gathered enough courage to get up and go on the stage, he made eye contact with Changbin as the other rapped…and he felt calmer. The way Changbin felt so in his element on the stage…it gave him something to rely on.

        It shocked them when Felix got up and headed for the microphone, grabbing it gently from between Changbin’s fingers, winking at the other when Changbin froze in his steps. The music started, the beat passed through his veins and settled deep in his voice, and when he opened his mouth, he knew he was on the right track. Apparently, no one ever heard a voice as low as Felix’s, so when the first verse from his rap started, everyone was silent, and by the second verse, they were whistling and beating their hands on the tables along with the rhythm, giving Felix even more confidence in himself.

        “What the hell man, who are you and what did you do with our Felix who could barely stand a crowd of humans, much less sing in front of one?!” Jisung exclaimed, grabbing Felix in a tight hug. He was really glad the other overcame that fear that rested deep in his guts. He was still afraid, most likely, but now he was willing to defeat that fear.

        “I just…practiced a little, and…had some inspiration.” His eyes ran over to Changbin, shocking the other. Changbin felt his heart beat faster when Felix smiled widely at him, eyes disappearing into crescents. Felix patted his messenger bag in search for his notebook, so that maybe he could mark with today’s date the first time when he rapped to the lyrics that he wrote, only to come up empty-handed. “Has anyone seen my notebook?”

        “Last time I remember, Shiaj, Yrys and Groovy were fighting over it.” Hyunjin muttered close to his ear, making him groan. If Shiaj was involved he couldn’t be sure there would be anything left out of the notebook.

        “Guys! They’re organizing a dance battle, come on!” Hyunjin shouted, pulling Jisung to his feet and dragging him away. Felix cracked his knuckles and rotated his shoulders, getting ready as well. “Time to roll.”

        It was a pretty intense battle on the dance floor, Hyunjin winning against Felix by only a fraction, while Minho beat them both with…a lot. Thirsty, Felix headed for the bar and ordered a sugared water with lemon, feeling his skin burning from all the dancing, his lung working to catch up with his ragged breathing. He’d enjoyed it a lot. Someone sat down by him, and when Felix looked up, he recognized the guy to be the one he saved that day in class in Botany. Jihoon. At first, Felix was wary, wondering if the other wanted something, but after singing in front of so many people, Felix no longer felt as reluctant to communicate with humans as he used to.

        “Hey, you’re Jihoon, right?” The other looked up, his bubblegum pink hair bouncing with the movement. His eyes were wide, as if he was asking whether he was talking to him. At Felix’s nod, Jihoon turned so he was facing him; because he was smaller than Felix in height, he still had to look up at him, despite already sitting in a tall stool.

        “Yeah, Lee Jihoon. And you’re Lee Felix. You really saved me today in Botany, so thanks a lot!”

        “What happened with your homework.” Despite the dim light, Felix still managed to see the blush that dusted the other’s cheeks.

        “I…uh…I succeeded at messing up the solutions, and in the end destroyed the poison somehow? I didn’t have sufficient time to make one again, so…yeah.”

        “Hey, that’s okay. I remember the first time I tried to preserve a plant and work on it. It shouldn’t have even happened, but I somehow managed to make it combust; by the morning, I found my kitchenette half burned and the vials broken. I know about failures in botany, so don’t worry. You’ll get over it and become better.”

        “Thanks. I was wondering…You live in the same dorm as Chan right?” Felix nodded. “I’m the manager from the Student Council. Could you help us a little with the paperwork and preparations? I know Chan would never say, but we really do need an extra pair of hands.” Jihoon looked up at Felix expectantly. He felt a surge of nervousness and worries grow in his heart, although he somehow managed to push it all down, take a deep breath and smile.

        “Sure I can. Where do we meet?”

****

        “Minho, are you sure this is the right way? We went through here already.” Jisung inquired, trotting behind Minho, eyes trying to see in the dark without actually allowing them to shift lest they attracted attention. They had separated from the group when Minho remembered that he forgot his messenger bag back at L7L, so he needed to go back. Jisung, not wanting to let the other roam the streets on his own at the ungodly hour of almost midnight, went along with him, and now they were lost because Minho thought he could take a shortcut, despite not knowing the area well. The place where they currently were gave the creeps to Jisung, making him jog over to the other to not be left behind and grab onto his messenger bag strap. Minho sensed the movement and reached behind him, pulling Jisung’s hand away and grabbing it in his own, clasping their fingers together and dragging Jisung closer into his side. It made Jisung feel safe.

        A few streets later and they were close to reaching the park, if the sound of the fountain was any telltale. As they rounded a corner, they came face to face with a group of five, maybe six humans, all dressed in black and wearing hoods. To Jisung, one of them felt unnaturally powerful, though he didn’t know why. It was too late to turn around, for they already noticed the pair.

        “Oi, guys, look what we’ve got here. Fresh meat for us.” Minho, out of instinct, stepped in front of Jisung to shield him from their view, making one of the men chuckle darkly.

        When the first one launched himself at Minho, he swiftly grabbed him around the neck and brought his knee up, smashing the other’s head against it. It bounced back with a sickening crack before the guy fell to the ground. To his right, Minho saw Jisung fighting another guy as well, grinning wildly, eyes bloodthirsty, twisting his hands behind his back and pushing with his knee against his spine until the man fell to the floor, Jisung knocking him out with the hard sole of his boot.

        “Pay attention to me, I’m not done with you!” Another one of the gang shouted at Minho, running towards him at full speed. Minho didn’t even bother with him: he simply allowed him to run past and grabbed him by his jacket, using his own momentum to knock him against the brick wall and then dropping him to the ground.

        Jisung was fascinated with the way Minho was fighting, almost like a warrior fairy. His posture straight, eyes observing and muscles coiled ready to strike. Jisung took him sweet time with the second guy that fell in his hands, punching him a few times across the face before he roundhouse kicked him and then cut him across the throat with his palm, head knocking against the wall. With a clean swipe at his feet, the man was down and writhing in pain. Jisung kicked him in the stomach as well for good measure, not observing the powerful aura that was approaching him from behind.

        Minho was focused on the last of the gangsters, or what he thought was the last, hands coiled around his neck strongly, when he heard a drop behind him and then silence, except for the shallow breathing of the man that he was holding. Pushing his thumbs into two points that were by the other’s throat, he released the man as it passed out, and turned around: Jisung was knocked to the ground, unconscious, a shadow looming over him.

        “Ahhhh….a fairy of dark descent….how about you join ussss…you’ll look sssoooo b-beautif-full-ll…..” It hissed and bellowed, dragging a hand by the side of Jisung’s neck, his face peaceful as if he was sleeping, his veins turning black with the telltale of dark blood, and in that instant all that Minho saw was red, his staff in his hand, a growl ripping out of his throat. He raged upon the demon, cutting at him, slashing him as many times as he could without outright killing him, burning at every point that hurt the most in a demon. The demon growled and howled in pain, almost crying out for mercy, but Minho wouldn’t allow it. When the alley was bathing in black, Minho looked down upon the demon, eyes alight with blue bleeding green, canines elongated and looking so vicious as he growled, the veins underneath his eyes and along the side of his neck turning black.

        “You will never touch him again.” His voice was cold, a sharp wind against the freezing ice. His voice belonged to the harbinger of Death. His shadow engulfed the alley in darkness, unleashing fear upon the demon, fear that a demon never knew could feel. He was the demon hunter that all feared and tried to kill. He was Azurblau, the harbinger of Death and the defender of Life.

        Hands rising high up in the sky, staff gripped tightly between his fingers, he ended the crawling mass of blackness, a high pitch that turned into a whisper following after as the demon got torn to pieces.

        He could hardly breath, could barely stand upright without swaying from side to side. Minho stumbled over to Jisung and fell down onto his knees, hands gripping at his staff for support. It took him several more minutes until he could see clearly again and breathe.

         Jisung’s face would be etched into his mind as he saw him like that, peacefully asleep, hair brushing against his eyelashes, plump lips partially opened. The dark veins retreated and Minho got up, leaning over Jisung so he could grab him and hoist him up on his back. Something changed in that moment, as soon as he touched Jisung. He felt his blood warm up, his neck tingling as the black lines returned, only this time, they were not made by blood, but by a tattoo that seemed to burn itself in his skin. The same thing happened to Jisung as well, the sharp pattern or blades against parallel and crossing lines with leaves and beads staining the back and sides of his neck.

        Minho bent down and grabbed Jisung around the shoulders, supporting him against his raised knee, other hand gently brushing along the pattern and upward towards the other’s soft cheek, thumb trailing along his jawline. In the most peaceful moment that ever took place in Minho’s life, he titled Jisung’s face towards his and allowed his lips to descend upon his, kissing him softly. He could feel the energy that passed through them as Minho applied more pressure, hand gliding upwards into the other’s unruly hair. They fit perfectly, together, hearts beating as one, and to Minho, it didn’t matter that Jisung wouldn’t be able to remember this tomorrow. It was perfect now.


	19. Phoenix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chap before i go in hiatus again to finish the exams^^(which is at the end of May). Although, i might find the time to post a Lost Page ;) This chap is a lot more...aggressive let's say, although there won't be another one until several chapters later^^ Enjoy~~

         When Felix got up from his study to answer the door, botany book slackly caught between his slim fingers, he most certainly did not expect to see a bloody Minho carrying a limp Jisung in his arms, body shivering. Feeling his legs almost give out, Felix grabbed onto the door frame, eyes round and glossy. He’d been having a bad feeling ever since a few hours ago, but he blamed it on a discharge of energy.

        “Minho, what-“

        “Felix, I need you to listen carefully. Jisung’s neck was injured. You need to ice the area until he wakes up. We…we were attacked by a gang on our way back, and while I had my back turned to him, taking care of one of the assailants, Jisung was grabbed around the neck. He passed out, so I had to carry him in my arms back. Please…when he wakes up, tell him that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have allowed him to come with me.” Felix frowned, fingers curling into tight fists, eyes blazing. Beneath the white shirt that hung on Felix’s body loosely, Minho saw a charmed pendant glow, most certainly trying to control his desire to shift. It hurt Felix. Not the fact that Jisung got injured while out with Minho, he trusted the other to protect him, but by the raw pain on Minho’s face and the guilt in his eyes. Felix didn’t know what he could say to make the other feel better, didn’t know how to comfort him. He stepped forwards, still shaky on his legs, and approached Jisung, brushing his fingers gently across his cheek.

        After looking once more at Minho, Felix stretched his arms out to take Jisung from the other, weight settling against them. He held Jisung tightly to him, comforted by the strong heartbeat that he could feel come from the other.

        “Minho, you’re injured as well. Come inside.” He murmured softly, jerking his head in the direction of their door. Minho’s eyes turned passive, shoulders tensing.

        “I’m fine, I just need a gauze with disinfectant and I’ll-“

        “Demon wounds don’t heal as easily and you know that. Now get in.” Felix’s voice left no room for argument as he turned around and walked inside, sure that Minho would follow. After all, Minho was more than sure that no one other than Chan knew about him being a shaman, and he never dropped his shield around them. Not even once. Sigh passing over his lips, Minho willed his legs to move, the spell that he used to fight the demon finally taking its toll on his body. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he felt the warmth of the wards engulf him, almost making him fall asleep at how safe he felt inside them. He had lost sight of where Felix went, so he opted to go towards the kitchen, hand fumbling against the wall for the switch.

        Inside Jisung’s room, Felix was worrying his lower lip, canines almost piercing it. He was leaning over Jisung on the bed, hands glowing a warm hue of red as he waved them over the other’s body to check for any other injury. He released a sigh of relief when he felt none, rushing over to the bathroom to grab a cloth and wet it with cold water. Following Minho’s instructions, he wrapped the cloth around Jisung’s neck, flinching when he felt how hot the other was, abnormally so. He was nursing a fever already. Going back to the bathroom to grab one more, he placed it over Jisung’s forehead, draping the smooth blanket over his body and pressing a kiss against his temple, murmuring a low chant to help speed up the healing process.

        Inside the kitchen, he found Minho leaning against the grey countertop, hand pressing against his side as if in pain. He was no longer wearing his jacket, black muscle tee hugging his form. When he noticed Felix, green and white first aid kit in his hands, he pushed himself away from the countertop, pulling one of the chairs out to sit down, Felix following suit.  They sat in silence as Felix cleaned out the cut on Minho’s cheek and the several others across his hands. He had realized it later that the demon’s shadows were sharp, even after he was dead.

        “How did you find out that I am a shaman?” At the sound of Minho’s voice, Felix looked up, frowning at the other when he realized what he said.

        “I figured that you were a fairy, not a shaman, but it’s still somewhat close so…yeah, thanks for clearing that up.” Minho allowed an incredulous laugh to pass by his lips, which turned quite quickly into a hiss at the sting of alcohol. He heard Felix apologize, hands moving at a much gentler pace. He was too tired to filter his words. “Well, first of all, your clothes and hands were dirty with a black substance, obviously demon blood, I could smell the stench from a mile away, and there were traces of magic on Jisung’s body, so it couldn’t be anything else, you know?” Minho nodded, still surprised that the other had figured it out so easily just by looking at them both. “Why didn’t you tell me? Or any of us for that matter?”

        “Chan knows, but only…we met before. I preferred to keep my scent hidden so that I wouldn’t put you guys in danger. I can’t really talk about it.” It wasn’t too difficult for Minho to avoid the subject of Chan’s curse, lest the other didn’t know and he provoked a fight.

        “I…kinda get that. I guess it’s okay.” A small pause followed. “Wow…I never thought I’d see a shaman again after all this time. What elements do you possess?”

        “Earth and water. Although I kind of get along with wind as well…somehow.”

        “Not fire eh? Would’ve taken you more for a fire fairy rather than an earth or water one.” Felix’s eyes glistened mischievously, hands working quickly to wrap Minho’s forearms in white, clean bandages. Minho almost flinched when Felix’s hands caught fire and he moved them over the bandages, Minho’s forearms tickling with magic. “There. You’ll heal faster this way.”

        “You’re quite good at this.”

        “Well, I got a lot of experience from when Chan and I were stranded alone on the battlefields and we were injured. It didn’t do us any good to keep on bleeding, so I learned how to speed up the healing process of demon wounds.” They both jumped when they heard a phone go off, hands snapping towards the door to listen for any noise as Minho fumbled with the device to close it.

        “It’s Seungmin. He’s…”

        “Go and tell him that both you and Jisung are alright. He’s most likely worried since it’s well past midnight. Minho, don’t give me that look. I know you want to make sure Jisung is safe, but he’s in good hands. And just an advice, don’t blame yourself for what happened. You’ll see why I advised you so tomorrow, when Jisung’ll come to look for you.” Minho turned around to leave after one more insistent look from Felix, but halfway across the hall, he turned around and headed back for the youngster, ignoring the other’s question in favor of hugging him tightly, surprising Felix.

        “Thank you Felix.” He felt arms go around him, holding him tightly.

        “You’re welcome Minho. Please take care of yourself. I won’t accept to hear that a demon captured you or anything like that, understood? I would come and bust you out if you dared to try and run away from us like that, yeah? Jisung is quite fond of you, so I still want to have with what to tease him.” Despite it not being the first time, it still surprised Minho how perceptive the other was. Ruffling Felix’s hair affectionately, Minho turned around and headed towards the door, mind still going back to Jisung, to what had happened tonight.

        When Jisung woke up, he jumped up in the bed, the first thing that he felt being pain. His throat hurt and his head hurt, a burning sensation at the back of it. Felix was over to him in an instant, checking his forehead and neck, hands resting on his shoulders.

        Out of instinct, Jisung touched his lips although he didn’t know why he did it. It was as if he couldn’t remember something, something important. Where was he? Why was he in bed with Felix when he had been with…Minho!

        “Where is he? Is he okay? Did he tell you what happened? What happened? I can’t remember it all. Why can’t I remember it all?” Tears of frustration started to gather in Jisung’s eyes. For a fairy not to remember something was quite common, since their lives were so long that they couldn’t remember every little thing, but to feel as if there was a block inside your mind, shielding your memory from you…it felt weird and scary.

        “Jisungie, calm down. I’m right here, nothing’s going to happen to you, you’re safe. C’mere.” As the tears started to fall down, Felix pulled Jisung in his arms, holding him gently yet strongly against his chest, chin on top of his head. Jisung took in a shaky breath and relaxed in Felix’s embrace, body going slack.

        In the quiet of the night, it was just the two of them and the howling wind outside. For an autumn day, it sounded awfully a lot like a thunderstorm was coming. The lights above their heads flickered for a moment, making Felix look at them, before they stabilized again.

        “…All that I remember was that we were walking through alleys, close to the park, when we stumbled across a group of guys. Then we were fighting, and then…darkness. I couldn’t see anything else.”

        “Minho told me that a guy managed to grab you from behind and hit your head, making you lose consciousness.”

        “Why does my neck hurt so much?” Jisung moaned in pain as he moved his neck from side to side, careful not to move too sharply lest it hurt. Moving closer to him, Felix grabbed at the white wet cloth and pulled it away, touching his neck gently. Jisung hissed when he felt Felix’s fingers probing at his skin.

        “It’s really bruised, so that probably why.” To Felix, the pattern of bruises was really weird, and he couldn’t really believe that they were all coming from a pair of hands, although there was nothing else that could’ve caused them. Jisung started to touch his neck as well, jerking whenever he pressed too hard on the bruises. He sighed and dropped his hands in the end, muscles itching to move them, although he didn’t want to receive more pain from his neck.

        “Why haven’t I healed yet?”

        “I have no idea. Maybe the one that attacked you had an affinity towards magic and tried to use a spell on you?”

        “I would’ve healed…I think.” Jisung pouted, eyebrows pulled into a frown. The clock indicated two in the morning and both boys yawned, Felix chuckling at how lost Jisung looked after he opened his eyes, before he fell downwards onto the bed, Felix following. He cuddled to the other, trying to help him recover his energy. Jisung leaned closer towards the other, welcoming the warmth that his brother offered. He felt comforted, all of his fears going to sleep in Felix’s presence.

        As their eyes slowly started to close, Jisung felt a warm tingle against his neck. When Felix finally fell asleep, he decided to look and see what it was, only to find Felix’s hand a few millimeters away from his neck, palm glowing brightly. Jisung tsked and berated the younger in his mind, knowing that come morning he would be feverish from the loss of so much energy, although he couldn’t help but smile warmly at the other, hand going up to settle in the other’s ruffled locks.

****

        It was early morning, and more than half of the campus was walking around, coffee cups in hands and heads hung low, most of them dead tired, and it hadn’t even been a week since university started. Minho was trudging around their apartment, robes hanging loosely on his form, bed hair and shadows underneath his eyes present. Thursday had been one hell of a crazy day, their teachers set on teaching as much as possible and giving as much homework as possible. Minho was left alone in the classroom all day long, Jisung nowhere to be seen, and when he had asked Felix why the other was not present, he had said that Jisung had been sleeping profusely ever since that night. Minho could totally get why: a bonding tattoo took a lot of energy to form, so Jisung was probably more than tired. It still didn’t help easing Minho’s anxiety.

        He walked around the kitchen, blindly trying to find the coffee package so that he could get a fresh start of the day, but the top shelf was empty, making him open his eyes wide and stand on his toes to see. There was no coffee package, and on top of that, they were one bag of sugar minus. Minho sighed heavily and dragged a hand over his face, leaning against the countertop. The day couldn’t get any worse.

        From the kitchen, Minho heard the front door open, footsteps approaching his position. Through the kitchen door, a head popped up, hands filled with a plastic bag.

        “Morning!” Changbin exclaimed quite brightly, walking closer towards the table and dropping the plastic bag on it, contents spilling out.

        “If you weren’t taken I would’ve kissed you right now.” Was all that Minho said as he saw the pack of coffee and the sugar bag. Changbin laughed, probably believing that Minho was kidding. Well, he wasn’t too far off…although having lived for 700 years, Minho did a lot of things that people would’ve taken for a joke of his.

        He started the coffee machine and sat down in one of the chairs, head between his hands.

        “You don’t look too good. Did you get any sleep?”

        “A little. I was too worried about Jisung since he didn’t come to classes yesterday.”

        “Ahh, now that you’re mentioning that, Felix said earlier that he should wake up by know, whatever that meant.” Minho sighed with relief.

        “You and Felix, huh?”

        “What’s that supposed to mean?!” Changbin inquired, cheeks heating up. Minho was about to comment something else, most probably to embarrass the younger even more, when he was stopped by the front door ringing. They both looked at each other with wide eyes, wondering who it was.

        As Minho got up and headed for the door, he felt the tattoo on his neck pulsate, making him place a hand over it. _Jisung._ Just as he’d expected from the pulsating tattoo, Jisung was right behind the door, hand raised and ready to knock. He took a deep breath and started to mutter out the apology that he’d prepared ever since yesterday, although he didn’t really get to finish, because Jisung was already hugging him tightly, face burrowed in his chest. Minho was frozen, not expecting this reaction from the other.

        “I should’ve paid more attention behind me, I’m sorry Minho. What kind of warrior am I if I cannot watch my back…”

        “Hey, it’s okay, I was…” Minho was going to say that he was the one guilty of everything that happened, that he should’ve paid more attention, but then he remembered what Felix had said: _‘ **And just an advice, don’t blame yourself for what happened. You’ll see why I advised you so tomorrow, when Jisung’ll come to look for you.’**_ “You were amazing back there, so much accuracy when fighting and skill…I don’t think I ever saw anyone fight like you.” Was what Minho said instead, knowing he spoke in the right way when Jisung’s expression shifted, from upset to delighted, his cheeks darkening in color a little. It went unnoticed by the both of them how their hands gravitated towards one another, fingers clasping together as Minho pulled Jisung inside while he went to change. Jisung found Changbin in the kitchen, tending to the coffee, so he couldn’t help not saying that Changbin would’ve made for a good housewife; this landed a spoon against Jisung’s head, making him cringe and whine, saying that Changbin was a meanie.

It was quite a beautiful morning, no sign of the thunderstorm that had ravaged the campus just a day ago. The sun was shining brightly, the sound of music coming from the greenhouse, although it was a bit changed since some of the birds had already started their migration. As he walked through the multiple hallways, Felix saw, or at least thought that he saw, the face of the headmaster close to one of the high windows of his office, glancing outside at his students. It was still something really hard to get used to for Felix, not really expecting their headmaster to be of their kind. Of the Fae Folk. Although, that helped them in a certain way, for at least they could contact someone with higher position if anything happened regarding Fae Folk problems.

        He’d been really glad when he woke up that morning and found Jisung in the living room, laughing at some stupid TV show. Jeongin was with him, commenting what a shitty show it was, but Jisung didn’t really care as long as it was funny. Yrys had been next to him ever since he woke up, eyes glued to him as if she was expecting him to pass out again, despite the numerous times Jeongin told her that he wouldn’t. Today, she was wearing a pale yellow dress, tied at the waist with a red ribbon, pink hair pulled up in a ponytail, blue eyes following every movement in the living room.

        Now, as he sat in his seat, surrounded by his classmates, minus his friends, he couldn’t help but wonder how much longer it would be until Changbin, Minho and Jisung would come to class. He knew that Chan wouldn’t be coming to the first class, too busy talking with Woojin about something.

        The door to the classroom opened and through entered Jisung, followed by Minho and Changbin. He was all a smile, making Felix smile as well. He felt a bit tired, although he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Yesterday Mr. Raynolds had spoken to them about the verbena plant, or vervain, as the teacher liked to call it. He had started the lesson with a story about how humans believed vervain to be a weakness for vampires, making Felix snort with amusement. There were no vampires, unless you counted the small creatures that lived in the Silver Forest and fed with blood, although they were way too small to be considered vampires. More like bats, but not vampires.

        Currently, they were working on the mandrake antidote that would counter its poison, vials strewn across the table, notebooks opened to the lab plan and poison to his left. He felt so relaxed, working with the poison to create the antidote, pipette held gently between his fingers and eyes taking in the amount of substance that he was supposed to use. Unbeknownst to him, there were eyes watching him. Changbin had been paying attention to his own lab work…that was until his eyes found Felix by pure accident. He was entrapped by the serenity with which the other worked, body relaxed as he measured the drops and released them in his poison vial. It was most probably weird for anyone that saw him, staring at Felix like that, but he just couldn’t help but admire the other. Reluctantly, he tore his eyes away from Felix and returned back to his work, movement to his right gathering his attention: Minho and Jisung were talking lowly, smiles wide and, if he paid enough attention, he could see that the both of them were sporting blushes, body language obviously comfortable.

        “They’re cute together, aren’t they?” Felix asked, looking up at Changbin with a small grin on his lips. His eyes were lively.

        “Yeah, they are.” Changbin agreed, hearing in the back of his mind that he and Felix would be cute together as well, making Changbin chastise the tiny voice in his mind to keep quiet. When their teacher became too busy with his phone, trusting that his students had work to do, a small ball of paper landed on Felix’s side of table. He frowned and grabbed the ball, opening it up, eyes going over the neatly written lines. Over his shoulder, Changbin could see only a bit of what was written: _Meeting tomorrow, at 2 in the library. Tell Chan as well._

        Felix wrote down a quick response, checked to see whether the teacher was looking, and threw the ball back to…Jihoon. So he was the one who sent it. But what meeting was Jihoon talking about? And since it involved Chan…Changbin couldn’t really figure out what Felix was needed for. He would have to ask him later about it.

****

        “How are classes going to take place this year?” Chan inquired, leaning against Woojin’s desk. Woojin was busy looking through papers, stamping some from time to time or signing them. “I mean, you never accepted humans in your class until now.”

        “And I did not.” Woojin said simply, as if it should’ve been obvious.

“You did. Changbin’s human as far as I know.”

“Indeed, as far as you know. Which is not too far I suppose.”

        “What do you mean by that?” He asked, opting to take a seat rather than remain standing, his eyebrows furrowed.

        “I’m not the one that accepted him into class. Krey was the one that requested I accept and allow him to join. He didn’t give me an explanation, but seeing as I cannot sense anything inhuman about Changbin, and neither can you, then I must assume that Changbin is under a seal.”

        “A seal?”

        “Yeah, a seal. You know, when a fairy or any other creature has his powers sealed, sometimes along with its early memories.”

        “Why would anyone use a seal?”

        ‘To protect someone maybe? Or to help them pass as human and stay safe from demons in the human realm.” Chan couldn’t really picture Changbin as being anything other than human, although snippets of his conversation with Felix regarding his feelings about Changbin not being human made more sense now. What had the other felt that made him doubt Changbin’s nature?

        “But if Changbin is under a seal, won’t being surrounded by others of the Fae Folk weaken it?”

        “Krey thought about that as well, asking me to instill some rules for this year’s classes: no shifting in class. And I’m supposed to say this before Changbin will get in the classroom, so he wouldn’t hear.”

        “How did Krey find out about all this?”

        “He said that someone from the Flügelyr tribe presented to him with a vision, saying that he needed to accept Changbin into the Mythology course and that he is not who he appears to be.”

        “In a good or a bad way?”

        “In a good way I assume.” Woojin’s eyes shone a light blue in the darkness of his office, making Chan lean in unconsciously. It was a known fact that nixies had the power to charm people, something that Woojin either didn’t know or chose not to believe. It surprised Chan when he found himself leaning on the other’s desk, hands holding his chin upright.

        “Did I ever tell you how nice your nixie eyes are?” Woojin blushed and knocked Chan’s hands off, making the other laugh at the flustered look that the other had.

****

        Changbin was excited for the Mythology course, bouncing on his feet, eyes wide and excited during the break before the course began. Even Felix, with a few words and touches on the other’s shoulder, couldn’t calm him down. It worried Changbin when he realized that he’d been so agitated that he forgot to check the time, making him two minutes late for the course, although Felix was too, since he was with him. When he entered, he felt everyone’s eyes on him, his social anxiety returning a little bit before he toned it down and took a deep breath. He had no reason to be worried.

        “Felix, Changbin, it’s nice of you to join us. Come, take a seat wherever you like. Since this is our first class together, I’ll overlook you being late.” Woojin grinned widely when he noticed that the two boys became flustered from his words. “As I was saying, this course will go firstly through the three realms that are thought to exist, and then the species that reside in them. Remember, you can choose to believe what I tell you about these other species, contradict me, or not believe me at all. This is a free class after all, made for you to learn about Mythology and Mythical Psychology. I hope we’ll have a good year together.”

Everyone cheered and smiled at their teacher, and Changbin could already feel that this was going to be an interesting class, maybe even his favorite besides Herbalism. It was also really interesting that all his new friends were taking the same class as well, Hyunjin sitting next to Seungmin, Chan with a boy that Changbin didn’t know, Jisung with Minho, and Jeongin with a boy that Changbin didn’t know either.

        “This classroom will have exams as well, pop-quizzes, and surprise questionings. Don’t worry though, since all that I would want you to know are important things.”

        Unbeknownst to Changbin, almost everyone that had been in class when  Woojin announced that this year they won’t be allowed to speak  about themselves belonging to the Fae Folk or shift was wondering _why_ those rules were instilled. Were they being recorded by humans? Was there an impostor in their class? They had no idea.

        “We’ll begin with the three existent realms. The first one is the Fairy Realm. If you want, you can imagine three spheres that interact with one another in only one point. These spheres could be interpreted as being other planets, although I believe them more to be simple realms that connect through portals in those points in which they interact. So, the first sphere is the Fairy Realm, where the Fae Folk resides. The second, being the one in the middle, is the Human Realm, were humans reside. The last one is the Dark Realm, where demons and dark fairies live. Now, we’ll start with the Fairy Realm. Do any of the third years remember what its origins are from last year?” A girl raised her hand from all the way into the back.

        “The Fairy Realm existed as a…universe let’s say, ever since the human realm existed. The first to inhabit the Fairy Realm, besides the creatures that lived there, were the Elder Tribe, powerful beings that were gifted with magic. After almost ten thousand years, the Elder Tribe suffered from a plague and half of it turned dark under the influence of the demons that resided in the opposite plane of existence, the Dark Realm, which resulted in the creation of the Dark Realm that we now know. The ones that turned dark were named Dark Fairies and have lived separately from the Light Fairies ever since. The other half of the Elder Tribe split into six other tribes: Sangvine, Kitsune, Phoenix, Flügelyr and the Origins tribe.”

        “Very good Serena. Now, do you know the difference between each tribe, and why the Origins tribe is different from all the others?”

        “The Origins tribe is different from the others because it did not receive any blessing from the deities that lived in the Fairy Realm, nor was it cursed with any kind of blood. Although, through intermixing of creatures and Fae, resulted changelings and other types of Fae Folk, which evolved over time. The Sangvines are a tribe that has the blessing of the serpent deity to heal with their saliva and are not cursed; the Foxes are a tribe blessed by a warrior deity and cursed with the blood of the Blue Mountain beasts; The Phoenix tribe is a tribe blessed by the deity of love and cursed with the blood of the Phoenix, while the Flügelyr tribe is blessed by the seer deity and cursed with the blood of the Gryphon. These tribes that bear either a blessing, a curse, or both, are stronger than changelings, normal fairies and others of the Fae Folk.” Chan spoke, smiling when Woojin nodded, praising his choice of words. He purposely left out the fact that there were also hybrids that were just as strong as the tribal fairies, knowing that not many knew of their existence.

        “Can you also describe, for short, the beings that represent the Fae Folk? We won’t be getting into them until later, so we’ll just enumerate them.”

        “Well, we have the ordinary fairies, the elder tribe fairies, changelings, which can be either dragons, selkies, spirits, serpents, and others, shamans, pixies, witches, hobgoblins and their subunits, smaller beings, and mixed bloods. The deities are also known to be the most powerful in the Fairy Realm, although ever since the first of the five elder tribes were blessed, they were not seen.” From the corner of his eye, Changbin saw Felix fidget, a frown on his face. He wanted to question him, although Woojin started speaking again, so he paid attention.

        “Very good. As you well know, there are many more species that we have not mentioned, although we will in due time over the course of this year. Onto the next one, we have the Human Realm, where the humans live. Sometimes, through the use of portals that tend to open between the three realms, fairies and demons alike can travel to the Human Realm. Likewise, demons can travel to the Fairy Realm and vice-versa. Ever since demons and fairies existed, they’ve been at war because the demons always preyed on the fairies for energy, to feed, and then turned to the humans as well. It is the duty of the fairies to defend their realm and the human one from the destruction that demons cause. The portals that appear between the realms are tunnels of energy that permit entrance from and to the realm towards which it opens.

         “The third realm, the Dark one, is inhabited by demons and dark fairies, or darklings, as well as other creatures born from shadows, which are rarely seen outside of the Dark Realm. The demons are masses of negative energy that did not have a physical body until they stole some from the human realm. The dark fairies are fairies that have desecrated the nature and turned to the dark ways, willingly choosing to go to the Dark Realm. There are also cases in which a fairy disobeys the laws of the Fairy Realm, and depending on the graveness of their disobedience, they are either exiled to the Human Realm or the Dark Realm. The fairies that are exiled to the Dark Realm either become tainted and turn into darklings, or they are turned into demons; the stronger the fairy, the stronger a demon it will be. There are some who fight the changes, and who manage to not turn fully into a demon, although those are rare cases.” Woojin started to move through the rows of desks, hands clasped behind his straight back, head held high and voice crystal clear. Changbin absorbed everything that the other said the way a sponge would absorb water.

        “Back to the Fairy Realm, the society there is quite closely tied, the fairy babies being taught at home by their elders, so there’s no need for schools; the trading and marketing is done on equal foot, meaning that you get what you offer in value; the social side of the fairies is quite amazing, seeing as there are almost always nights in which all the fairies gather at the Great Chambers, big houses used for parties and celebrations. There, they sing and dance and talk with each other. When the fairies are old enough, they begin training, either to become Warrior Fairies, fairies that will later fight on the battlefield against the demons, or Nursing Fairies, fairies that are more inclined towards the nature; they are the only ones beside the shamans who can understand the pixie language and who can create fairy rings. Nursing fairies are really important for the Fairy Realm, so they are not allowed on the battlefield, despite them being very strong.”

        “The center of life in the Fairy Realm is Grühlhfir, a huge tree with silver green leaves and large branches that seem to embrace the meadow right in front of him, emerald and indigo decorations almost as old as time growing and weaving around the constantly growing branches; at the base of it, between the tree and the meadow, there is a pond filled with what they call ‘sacred’ water, in which the fairy babies are bathed in so that their core would fill with magic for the first time, awakening their natural magical senses. After that, they can charge themselves from the nature around them. To the north of Grühlhfir, the Arver River can be found, and further north, the two twin mountains, the White Mountains and the Blue Mountains. In the opposite direction, the Crystal Caverns and the Silver Forest can be found, the Veil placed after them and spreading all the way to the west.  The Veil is technically a bridge that connects the southern parts with the northern, beyond it being the Feory Lands, where the changelings live; to east from Grühlhfir reside the Great Chambers. Of course, I don’t expect you to remember all of these locations, although I want you to have the map on you all the time during classes.” He presented the map to them, a huge painting plastered on the wall all the way into the back.

        The classroom was not as big as the others, making it feel really comfy and warm, the walls filled with images of fairies, changelings, maps, and other stuff like that; the only other thing inside the classroom besides the desks and the two white boards was a see-through bookshelf with glass doors, locked. It held a big amount of books stacked one upon the other, most looking as if they would turn to dust if anyone touched them.

       “In the Dark Realm, there are not many known locations, except for the Drugur Hill and the Sepium Forest, both of which have been lightly explored due to the dangers of wandering too far.” Minho wanted to say that, in fact, there were more, since he’d traveled a lot through there, but he couldn’t do that, lest he gave away his cover. When the bell rang, most of the class jumped, looking with wide eyes at the clock on the wall, not believing that the class was over so soon. They wanted to hear more.

        “Ahh, it appears that class is already done. Next time, we’ll be speaking about fairy anatomy. Dismissed.” Woojin smiled at his students and headed to his desk, grabbing a pile of papers with the intent of straightening them. Most of the class left, except for Chan and Serena.

        “Wow, I’ve really missed this. It’s been so long since I listened to these stories. They never get old.” Serena muttered, stretching her bones. “Mr. Kim, why did you add those rules? Everyone is wondering.”

        “The Headmaster requested I do. A fairy of the Flügelyr tribe told him it was the best.” Serena looked as if she wanted to ask more, but she kept her mouth shut, especially when Woojin himself seemed to not know why the rules were instilled. She left, and then there was only Chan and Woojin, both leaning against their respective desks.

        “Do you have any idea what Changbin is?”

        “None…”

****

        As soon as the Mythology course ended, Jeongin left the classroom quite quickly, surprising Yedam, who had wanted to talk with him for a bit before they went their separate ways. He couldn’t help but wonder why Jeongin didn’t want to admit to him that he was a Fox. It wasn’t anything bad.

        Initially, he’d rejected the thought of going to Krey to ask whether he knew where he could find Jinyoung, but in the end, it was the best way in which he could find him. If Woojin had said that Krey received a message from a fairy belonging to the Flügelyr tribe, then he most certainly knew where Jinyoung would be, and Jeongin really needed to see the older. It’d been years since they spoke outside of a lucid dream.

        He walked slowly, taking his time to think about what he would say. The offer that Krey had made to him about training was still fresh in his mind, though he didn’t really know whether he should accept. Yes, he was excited, but he was also weary.

        The secretary smiled when she saw him, sending a wink in his direction and then burrowing her head in the book that she had been reading. With his path clear, Jeongin walked towards the door, knocking softly three times. A deep voiced called him inside, saying that the door was open.

        Krey de Lav was resting at his desk, a laptop opened before him. To Jeongin’s surprise, there were books strewn everywhere on the floor, opened at random pages portraying several different things. Krey was not wearing his usual suit, but a casual pair of fitting jeans and a loose white shirt, his blond hair ruffled, wide green eyes reading through whatever was on his laptop screen. Sensing his presence, Krey looked up and smiled, all warm and welcoming, jerking his head for Jeongin to come closer. He did, and when he got right next to his desk, he saw what Krey was doing: he was reading through a news article regarding demon attacks that took place recently, and Jeongin remembered a few days ago when he heard Changbin and Minho talk about a new attack in the kitchen while the others were finishing up with their homework.

        “To what do I owe this pleasure of seeing you again?”

        “I wanted to ask you something.” Krey nodded, urging Jeongin to continue. “Do you know of a shaman called Jinyoung? More often referred to as the unholy son of lightning and fire?”

       “Of course I have. I’ve seen him around here a few times, he likes to visit.”

        “Then you know where I can find him.”

        “The Crimson Sea District. Although, he’s not always there. Why do you need to know where he is?”  

        “He’s an old friend with whom I need to have a talk. A good one, not a bad one. He’s not in danger or anything.” Krey nodded and kept on fixing Jeongin with a stare, making it a bit awkward. “Well…uhmm…thanks a lot for telling me and sorry for bothering you. I’ll be on my merry way.” As Jeongin turned around to leave, he saw the books on the ground be absorbed by the floor, before he felt it, the rush of power, and the tingle at the edge of his nerves signaling danger. He turned around just in time to block Krey’s fist and push him away, jumping backwards. Krey smirked and Jeongin got no time to question what the other was doing or if he was crazy, because he was soon attacking Jeongin again, faster this time. Jeongin tried to keep up with the fight in his human body, before one single nail grazed his cheek. Shifting into his fox form, Jeongin pounced right back on Krey, pushing him against the wall. Krey’s feline eyes were watching, amusement shining in them and grin stretching widely on his face. He admired Jeongin’s panting form, green irises with a slit pupil, his ears black and sharpened, claws extended, his arms black from the forearm down, whiskers on his face and two tails behind him, moving wildly and spread out evenly, both shining with power. He was fascinated and couldn’t help but say that out loud, remarking as well that he was right regarding Jeongin being a very strong Kitsune.

        “Why did you attack me?” Jeongin’s question was ignored as Krey pushed him off of him and headed to straighten  the flag on top of his chess board that had fallen right as Jeongin shifted, the blast of energy making it collapse.

        “You are a really good fighter, so we are past that step of your training. Maybe a little honing of skills here and there but nothing too hard…”

        “Hey, I didn’t even agree to you teaching me, and you didn’t answer my question.”

        “I attacked you to see how strong you are as a fighter, and how fast. I assure you that you will agree once I show you this.”

        “Show me what…” Jeongin began questioning, but Krey was already in front of him, claws piercing his temples. It hurt, a lot, but then he was seeing images, flashes of places where Krey had been, the amount of time that he spent in the Feory Lands, learning from the changelings, in the Blue Mountains learning from the beasts there, the time spent with his own tribe, almost 500 years ago, tribe that he did not have the luck of ever meeting. There were many more images flashing in front of his eyes, spells murmured in his ears and images of creatures that he’d never heard of being presented in books.

        When he came back into his own mind and body, he felt dizzy, almost collapsing onto the ground if not for the strong arm that spread in front of him and stopped his fall, body coming closer, other hand spreading across his back.

        “It’s okay, this after effect always takes place, although you are the first one to take it this well. Breathe in deeply and then exhale. Just keep on focusing on my voice and channel your energy. You okay?” Jeongin followed Krey’s instruction, breathing in and out deeply, nodding affirmatively five minutes later. He stepped backwards, eyes rising to meet Krey’s.

        “I accept.” Krey never smiled as brightly as he did then, ruffling Jeongin’s black locks with adoration and gratefulness.

****

        While Minho was away meeting up with some old friend of his and Changbin, Hyunjin and Seungmin were off to the L7L café, Felix had nothing to do. Chan was too busy with the party preparations, and he wouldn’t be involved until tomorrow when he had that meeting. So, he turned towards magic. He pulled out from underneath his bed a cardboard box filled almost to the brim with books on magic and elder spells. Picking one of them, Felix chose a page without looking, finding a spell for cold fire. He found the idea really interesting so he decided to give it a try. Taking off the charm from Jisung and Jeongin, he allowed himself to shift, immediately sensing all the magic around him, the nature, the energy, his eyes burning brightly, skin tingling. He could feel his ears flutter energetically with excitement, magic overflowing after being restrained for the last three days.

        He read through the Cold Fire section of the book and took notes on what he should and what he should not do while practicing said spell, making sure he didn’t actually burn anything.

        After half an hour of trying to control his fire and shift it so that he could take away the heat, he gave up, ruffling his golden locks angrily, pushing the book away from him. He just couldn’t get it!

        A light bulb went off in his mind, making him scramble out of the bed, book in hands. He rushed outside of his room and into Jisung’s, the only other person that was at home beside himself. What he didn’t expect was for Jisung to be asleep. Realizing that he couldn’t just wake the other up, he tried to track back to his room, but apparently, the noise that he made had already woken up the other fire fairy.

        “…Felix?...what are you doing?” Felix stumbled over his words as he explained that he was trying to obtain cold fire, although he couldn’t and he thought that maybe the other could explain to him how to create it, not taking into consideration that the other could be asleep. Jisung sighed and sat up, a tired yet amused smile gracing his lips. Blinking his eyes open a few times, Jisung patted the spot next to him on the bed, Felix hurrying to sit down and give Jisung the book. He read through it quickly and then closed it, placing it on the nightstand by his bed. Turning towards Felix, he extended his arms and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were golden burning with red hues, the edges of his brown locks turning almost red, ears elongating and twitching a little bit as they adjusted to the surrounding sounds. Wiggling his fingers in front of him, eyes half closed and head tilted upwards, he summoned his magic from the depths of his core; he could feel the magic coil around his arms and then his fingers, and just as a ball of flames started to catch life in his hands, he muttered underneath his breath _glecie tumulus_ and the ball of flames turned a light golden, almost white. Felix passed his hands through the flames and felt no heat.

        “What did you do?” He inquired, taking a hold of the book and looking for the words that Jisung said, not finding them.

        “I just followed the instructions. It does say in the book that in order to perform that spell, you need to use the spell for creating ice, but with the intent to burn it, not cool it. That’s how you get cold fire. Try it.” Felix did as told, closing his eyes after he dropped the book on the bed, energy flowing through him. His was more volatile, harder to control; the flames licked at his palms, turning a light shade of blue. Jisung’s eyes widened slightly, before they closed in a smile, patting the other’s head. “Well done! Now, go to sleep too. We need to go for the check in later with Chan and you know those things that a lot of time. You’ll fall asleep on me again and droll all over my clothes.”

        “Hey, I never did that!” Jisung chuckled, and when he saw Felix reach for the book, he used a bit of wind magic to push it away and out of his reach.

        “I mean it.” Felix looked at him and then back at the book, Jisung taking advantage of the other’s momentary distraction to pull him into bed and under the covers. Felix tried to resist at first, but as soon as he felt the warmth of the bed and the comforting energy of the other next to him, he gave up, cuddling closer into Jisung’s side.

****

        Minho tried to follow the instructions that he received from Seungmin regarding the location of the Crimson Sea District, but somehow, he got lost around the park. He was supposed to go down an alley, although he couldn’t feel any energetic field.

        Several more tries later, he found himself walking along a darkened alley, and when he turned towards the left, he felt a strong ward brush against his skin. Taking in a deep, steadying breath, he stepped inside, the change happening in the blink of an eye: dark robes replaced modern clothing, hood pulled over his head to hide the metallic ornaments and feathers, his azure eyes burning brightly, tattoo on his neck and back burning as his metallic staff resurface and appeared in his hands.

        Walking through the district, he felt eyes turn on him, before they were gone almost as fast as they appeared. It calmed him down that no one recognized him around here. It would’ve been bad if they would.

        He reached a beautiful fountain, from where voices could be heard, although they were faded and it was too difficult for Minho to understand what they were saying.

        An alley led towards an intersection of other alleys, one of which led to a market, and the other towards a…house? Minho chose the latter and started to walk the beaten down pathway, eyes sharp for a certain redhead.

        When he was about to knock on the door of the magical house that had Blutige’s mark on it, he heard a gasp coming from behind him. Slowly turning around, he came face to face with a shocked Blutige, whose eyes were rapidly clouding with tears.

        “Azurblau!”

****

        “Where’s Hyunijn?” Chan inquired as he got out of his truck, closing the door. The others followed suit, looking up at the tall building before them. They always hated this period.

        “He said he’s on his way. He was with Changbin and Seungmin at L7L.” Felix explained, glaring at the building. He felt fingers go around his wrist, and when he looked to his side, he found Jeongin looking at him with wide eyes. He was nervous. Felix moved his hand and grabbed Jeongin by the hand, lacing their fingers together and pulling him closer to him, trying to offer him comfort. Jeongin smiled gratefully and leaned his forehead against his back.

        They waited no more than ten minutes before Hyunjin arrived, out of breath. He smiled apologetically towards Chan who simply rolled his eyes and ushered them all inside.

        The interior was as always: white, filled with grey chairs and desks and tiles…everything was either white or grey, and it made Felix hate the place even more. They followed Chan towards the reception, Felix and Jeongin hanging in the back.

        “Good evening. We are here for the annual exiling check-up.”

        “Name?”

        “Stray Kids.”

        “You must wait in booth 54. Here’s your number. It should take about an hour.” Chan grumbled and took the number. They were always required to do this exile check-up every 50 years. Otherwise, the elders would consider that they either went to the Dark Realm or somewhere else and never allow them to return, while if they did this check-up all the time, there was a chance they could go back. Chan never liked the procedures.

        They walked over to booth 54 and sat down; the booths were the only places with colors, green curtains semi-circling the booth widely; they were quite big although they had no door, connecting directly to a hallway that led to the office section where they needn’t go.

        “This is so boring.” Hyunjin said, yawning loudly, head lolling to the side and falling against Jeongin’s shoulder. Felix and Chan sat next to each other, both deep in thoughts and having the same sitting position: elbows on their knees and heads propped against their palms.

        “I know, but there’re only fifteen more minutes. I’m sure we can manage.” Jisung muttered, stretching his back. A shadow passed across the hall, followed by another one, and then a person. Chan’s eyes widened when he saw who it was, dread settling deep in his gut.

        “My, my, my, look who’s here. Chan with his whole family.” Yeji murmured, eyes surveying all of them, her eyes staying for longer on Felix, making Chan lean in his direction to shield him from her view. “You must be Felix, aren’t you? The almighty partner that left Chan under the red thread of destiny. I never had a chance to woo him because of you, Chan always saying how strong you are, how cute you are…calling me a denizen of hell…I never cared, but now that I see you…” Yeji started to approach Felix, Chan immediately jumping up from his seat. He didn’t get to move too far, because Yeji waved her hand and he froze, the curtains around them pulling in a full circle, shielding them from view. The others tried to move as well, but found that they couldn’t. Felix jumped up and walked towards the witch.

        “What did you do to them?!”

        “Nothing as bad as what I’ll do to you.” Yeji spoke with a vicious tone, legs moving towards Felix and hand stretching out towards him.

****

         “Azurblau!” Blutige exclaimed, launching herself at Minho, tears running down her face. He felt a shock go through him at the sight of her, not even realizing that she was hugging him. He’d not seen her from…almost 500 years ago, from the Dark Realm. He had been trying to save her and then the portal, and he pushed her…

         Minho embraced Blutige, a shaky breath leaving his lips. She was stronger than he’d last seen her, the Crimson Sea District proof of that, yes, but her energy was different as well. Cleaner. They’d both been stranded in the Dark Realm for different reasons, but what happened to them was all the same as what happened to others: demons soon found them wandering the Black Lands from where portals opened, and then they tried to change them. Blutige was luckier, because she was found by a dark witch whom saw great potential in her and did not agree to change her completely into a darkling, but Minho…the demons tried to infect him with dark blood for ages until he finally got away and ran, obviously not without ending up tainted. It made him more powerful, but the black blood in his system would always mark him as one of theirs. It made him traceable for them, always being hunted by demons wherever he went. Being stronger than most of them meant that he could easily kill them, but the people around him were endangered as well.

         “I cannot believe I get to see you again, to hear that you escaped and are safe. I felt so guilty that you were left there while I was saved, even more so when I was too afraid to go back and rescue you…I…please forgive me.”

         “You’re a fool as always.” Blutige looked up in shock at the amount of warmth that she could feel in Minho’s voice. “I sent you out of there so you would never go back, not for you to go back. I have nothing to forgive for you have done nothing wrong. I _wanted_ to save you.”

_In the Dark Realm, the first few days for Minho were horrible, the cold temperatures and black land void of any life making him go crazy, but when he thought he would lose any hope, he stumbled upon a girl collapsed on the ground, looking younger than himself and with scratches on her hands. She was asleep, he realized, looking almost as if she weren’t breathing._

_“You should do this too during the day unless you want to be captured.” He was shocked when he heard her voice, raspy, more of a growl, probably from how much she had not spoken. In a rush, he fell to the ground and pretended not to move. “Quite good, but you need to work on your breathing as well.” She spoke again, voice smoother this time. After that fateful meeting, the girl and Minho stuck together, escaping demon patrols for as long as they could, before one day they were caught moving at night. During their time together, Minho learned that the girl was a century younger than him, had no name, and that she’d been exiled for unwillingly killing a warrior fairy while she was treating him, because her hand moved wrongly when operating on him, despite how much she tried to explain that the other had moved all of a sudden and hit her hand. She had managed to escape the demons through her method for almost four years before they captured her, making her the first to resist for so long._

_They got separated afterwards, the girl being trained by a dark witch to be sold to a higher in rank demon to be his personal shaman, while Minho was kept in the underground prisons where the demons tried to change him, but he remembered every day the determination in the girl’s eyes to escape the Dark Realm and head to the human one to keep living on, so he never gave in to the poisonous blood._

_Almost three centuries after he escaped, he found the girl again, this time working as a shaman for a General. Minho was stronger then, more powerful, so he helped her escape, killed the General and freed her. She used her magic to create a clone of the demon, imprinting it with the demon’s energy so no one would realize it. While the General was still alive, technically, the girl could wander around without being called a fugitive. They tried to escape again, but somehow, the demons figured out that the General was dead. When the girl finally managed to create the portal using the General’s blood, the demons appeared and attacked, trying to keep them there. Minho fought them off, and when he realized that the battle was one that they just couldn’t win, he pushed the girl through the portal. Somehow, he managed to get away from the demons, hiding wherever he went afterwards, and luck was on his side, for he met Seungmin again._

         Blutige chose to walk Minho around and show him the district rather than stay in one place, revealing to him what had happened to her after she got to the human realm, how she saved the family of Sangvines and received a name, Blutmund, how she created the Crimson  Sea District…everything.

         “You feel…cleaner. How?”

         “I met a fairy far off in Japan, and at that time, I was in search of shelter. The boy was more than happy to offer me shelter; when I woke up after sleeping for two days straight, I had no more dark blood in my system. He’d done something, but he was gone before I could ask him what. Left me the house and everything that was in it, although it wasn’t much. I remember selling the house at one point to buy tickets to Seoul, and after that, well…I already told you everything else.”

         They were slowly walking through the Samarium market, the place not being as loud as it had been when Seungmin and Hyunjin were there. Minho’s staff hit the ground with a small clink every time he took another step forward, his face mostly hidden by the hood on his head. There were little kids playing near the Soul Fountain, their eyes glistening in the pale sun.

         “I heard that you settled down with that odd Skyger and are attending university.”

         “Yeah. We initially wanted to keep on traveling from place to place to avoid being detected after the university years, but certain things happened and I’m not too sure Seungmin wants to keep on traveling. _I’m_ not sure.”

         “Did you meet someone?” Minho felt his heart skip a beat, his hand going up to rub at the nape of his neck nervously. He heard Blutige gasp before hands were pulling his hood sideways so she could see his neck better. “Oh my gods you did! And your soulmate, none other!” Minho swatted her hands away, eyes surveying worriedly over the market in case someone overheard her. Soulmates, in shaman’s cases, were a means of persuasion, a danger, so most tried to hide their tattoos so no one would know. It endangered their soulmates as well, so Minho wanted nothing of that.

         “Lower you voice. It’d be dangerous if anyone heard.”

         “Yeah, I know, I’m sorry, I was just so excited! I’ve been looking for my soulmate, but it seems as though I cannot find it. I don’t even know if I should keep trying.”

         “I didn’t try and he came on his own.” Minho exclaimed, smiling cheekily at Blutige. She frowned at him and punched him in the shoulder with a barely hidden smile, making Minho laugh. They sat down on one of the benches, sharing more recent stories and laughing. It wasn’t even half an hour later when Blutige shot up from the bench, eyes shifting a multitude of colors.

         “Someone uninvited stepped over my ward.”

****

         When she got close enough to Felix, Yeji placed her thumb on his forehead before he could react, calling forward all of his power. With a blast of power, Felix shouted and collapsed to the ground, eyes red and body getting engulfed by flames. He was howling with pain, feeling the Phoenix inside him awaken. He tried to control it, stop it from burning him, but he couldn’t. As the Phoenix woke up even more, Felix planted his palms against the ground, wings of fire bursting out from his back from where his normal wings would’ve started. Seeing them again made Chan remember the horrible screams that followed after their exile was announced and they were taken by the elders to the white room where they ripped off their wings, leaving wounds that would never heal outside of the Fairy Realm.

         He could feel himself tearing up, anger pushing him to try and reach Yeji as he heard Felix howl in pain, writhing against the ground as the flames got brighter and brighter, Yeji’s red eyes glistening with maddening glee, but he couldn’t move, blocked by her spell. Jisung was outright sobbing, heart breaking with every scream from the other. It was Jeongin who finally managed to move, his body barreling into Yeji, throwing her against the stone wall to the right of the booth, long claws, almost black, piercing her neck, making her choke on blood and laugh through it, smile wide. His canines snapped angrily, face leaning really close so only Yeji saw the slits in his eyes, the threat to kill behind them. When she saw his eyes turn feline, she bowed her head, unwillingly, feeling a pressure control her. Jeongin knew why, though, could sense it in her blood. Long ago, the bloodline from which Yeji was coming had been saved from certain death by Jeongin’s ancestors, in return, the witches from every generation needing to bow to the next generations of foxes and obey them should they order something. Jeongin didn’t even need to speak for Yeji to know what he wanted.

         She cursed loudly and backed away, disappearing with a flicker across the light. Behind him, Chan was already next to Felix who is still burning out, tears falling down his cheeks. He cursed himself for not managing to control his Phoenix, wondering why he couldn’t, what he should do to be able to. Chan was trying to calm him down, to bring him back from the state of self-destruction in which he was, but it didn’t work. Not now. Jeongin rushed forward, collapsing on the ground in front of him.  By now, Felix could only feel the fire, see fire, and no matter what Jeongin tried, it seemed as if the other couldn’t hear him, couldn’t see him. They would lose him if they didn’t do something. Jeongin closed his eyes and brought his left hand over Felix’s, ignoring the burning sensation. He summoned the family bond that tied them all together, a golden wire tying itself around Felix’s wrist and then around Jeongin’s. The same wire spread over to Chan, Jisung and Hyunjin, all of them huddled close to Felix. They pulled their left hands at the same time, using the wires to tie Felix, before pulling again, this time closing the wings around Felix’s body. One more pull, and Felix’s cries subsided a bit more. By the fourth pull, Felix’s fire was dimming in intensity, the Phoenix going back to sleep.

         Through their family bond, all of them absorbed an equal part of Felix’s energy, leading to him having almost none, which meant the Phoenix could no longer burn. When he came back to the surface, he collapsed against Jeongin, crying and moaning in pain, his whole body still hurting. Jeongin hugged him tightly, almost supporting all of his weight. Jisung ran across from Hyunjin and to Felix’s side, passing a hand around his waist and the other against the back of his head, fingers burrowing in his golden locks. He was still crying, even more now that he realized Felix wouldn’t burn out, would still be with them. Chan stayed next to Jeongin, fists clenched and tears streaming down his face, angry at himself for allowing this to happen, for ever thinking that they could be safe in a place Yeji tended to frequent. He should’ve cloaked them, hidden them from view, but he was too foolish, too distracted…he couldn’t believe himself. It was his fault Felix was hurting now, because it was he that Yeji wanted, and hurting Felix was the best way to hurt him.

        From beside Chan, Hyunjin was staring at him with glossy eyes, hands shaking with anger at the thought of his family in pain. He hated it when Chan blamed himself for everything bad that happened. He felt the need to do something, anything, so he placed his hand over the other’s tightened fist, trying to tell him that he was there, that they were all there and he was not alone, and in that moment, it broke his heart when Chan started to cry and collapsed against his shoulder, face hiding in his hoodie.

****

        Blutige and Minho hurried to the border of the Crimson Sea District, and when they got there, they found a slim figure breathing heavily and crouched down, body covered in a cloak. As soon as the person heard them, it straightened up and turned around, making Minho stop in his tracks. He could recognize that face anywhere, although he wasn’t expecting to see her with a pierced, bleeding neck.

        “Stay away from her.” Minho muttered, grabbing Blutige around the bicep. She whipped her head around, eyes wide and inquiring. “Yeji, what are you doing in the Crimson Sea District?” His voice was sharp and cold, making Blutige look with suspicion at the witch. He never used that tone unless it involved demons.

        “I am traveling around. _Fucking Chan and his family, always surprising me._ ” She muttered the last part to herself, most probably oblivious to the fact that Minho could easily hear her, even from three meters away. Blutige felt Minho go tense beside her, the hand on her bicep tightening before letting go.

        “What did you do to them?” Minho stepped forward, hands clenching tighter around his staff. Yeji chuckled, wiping her mouth clean of blood with the back of her hand.

        “Might’ve played a little with one of his fire fairies. The phoenix one.” Minho’s heart stopped for a second when he heard the words _fire fairy_ , his mind instantly thinking of Jisung, but as Yeji said phoenix, that could only mean Felix. It made him angry all the same, blood boiling underneath his skin. The smile that she wore made him even angrier, the crystal at the top of his staff starting to burn bright, the black cloak that shielded his body waving as the power burned through him. He would kill her now, and be done with all the pain that she caused. Blutige was saying something next to him, something about others finding out that he was alive, that he was Azurblau and that maybe the demons would find out his location as well, but he didn’t care. Not when the witch was a danger, both to Chan and Felix, and to Jisung. His hood waved, revealing his burning azure eyes, and then he extended his staff towards Yeji, who was looking at him with wide eyes, staggering a few steps back. She’d used her teleportation spell once already, and wasn’t strong enough to use it a second time.

        “You’ve been alive long enough, witch.” Minho sneered and waved his staff in an arc, energy gathering about it, before sending it towards Yeji. Just when the wave of energy was about to reach Yeji, a figure appeared beside her, cloaked in shadows, and grabbed her, teleporting the both of them away, the only thing that remained behind being the image of green irises wearing a green star that bled in five corners against a black sclera. The powerful energy wave hit a street lamp that was right behind the spot where Yeji had been, bending it. Minho fell to his knees, breathing heavily, Blutige following suit.

        “Minho! Hey Minho, can you hear me?!” Minho grasped at Blutige’s hand, nodding, although he still felt wobbly on his feet.

        “I need…to get…to them.” He grunted as he used his staff to get up, leaning against Blutige when he felt himself lose balance again. Blutige held him around his shoulders, eyes worried and eyebrows furrowed. She knew Minho almost as well as she knew herself, and to see him so determined to kill someone…Yeji most certainly did awful things if she triggered him like that, and about the phoenix fire fairy…if she truly tried to make the phoenix awaken, then she was more than evil. It made Blutige understand why Minho was so angry when he heard about what she’d done, becoming angry herself. She would make sure to defend the district against Yeji if she ever decided to come there again. Her eyes caught Minho’s before he teleported; she could definitely read the apology that hid behind his irises, and the promise that he would visit again.

        The dorm halls were quiet and darkened, and it took Minho a few seconds to find the door that he was looking for. He knocked against it harshly, eyes wide and breaths much too fast for it to be okay. Just his luck, Chan was the one to open the door, gasp escaping him when he saw Minho. The other pulled him outside, closing the door.

        “What are you-“

        “I was meeting with an old friend when I stumbled upon Yeji and heard what she did.” He could see Chan tense up even more, his eyes pained. “I need to see Felix. If she tried to unleash his phoenix, then he most certainly has an internal bleeding, to what extent I do not know.”

        “Jisung and Jeongin are not even allowing me to send them to rest, they don’t want to leave Felix’s side…how are you going to use your magic when you do not want them to find out that you are a shaman?”

        “I’ll change my appearance for them, just let me get inside and get them out of the room.”

        Inside Felix’s room, Jisung and Jeongin were sitting down on either side of Felix, holding his hands in an attempt to help him recover his magic. He was feverish and his breaths were shallow, eyes still not shifted back. When Chan opened the door, he found that Hyunjin was inside as well, sitting in the chair that he’d been sitting in. When Minho stepped inside, Hyunjin sat up in his seat, eyes and mouth wide.

        “Blutige!” Minho thanked the gods that his spell worked, despite already feeling tired. Jisung and Jeongin looked from Hyunjin to Minho with inquisitive eyes, wondering who the woman dressed in red was. “She’s the shaman that I met with Seungmin in the Crimson Sea District, I know her.” Hyunjin explained when he saw the looks.

        “I’m here to help him. He’s bleeding internally.”

        “How do we know that you are safe and not here to kill him or something?” Jisung asked, his body tense and defensive. “I’m not leaving him with a stranger.”

        “He could die from the bleeding, Jisungie.” Jeongin spoke, his eyes betraying the insecurity that he felt as well. “If Chan says that we need to let her help Felix, then we will.” They looked at Chan, and when he nodded, got up and left the room, Hyunjin and Chan leaving as well. When it was just him and Felix, Minho allowed the glamour to fall apart, approaching the bed in a hurry and checking the other’s temperature. He was burning, but not to the point that Minho could not touch his skin. He brought his palms together and started the rite that would help him recover as fast as possible, a small light starting to grow between his palms before it broke and engulfed them. Minho immediately placed his palms on either side of Felix’s face, the other gasping at the cool sensation. He felt shivers go through his body, and suddenly, he started to feel much better, the anguishing fire that remained in his body cooling as if it had been hit by an ice-cold waterfall. Minho sighed in relief when he felt the other’s body heat lower down to normal levels for their kind, breathing returning to normal as well. Felix couldn’t really open his eyes, too tired to do so, but he was capable enough to speak, weak voice thanking Minho, hands grabbing softly at the other’s hands. Minho leaned forward and placed a kiss on the other’s forehead, wishing that he would be safe from now on. Felix smiled at him.

He didn’t find anyone when he exited the room, the apartment quiet. He could sense that Chan and Jeongin were in the office room, and that Hyunjin was in the kitchen, but there was no sign of Jisung.

        He tried to follow the direction in which he thought he could sense Jisung, too tired to be sure enough. His feet led him to the veranda outside, his eyes falling onto a lone form that sat hunched over his knees on a bench a little off to the side. Jisung held his head in his hands, face hidden. Minho approached him, wary at first, questioning whether he should really approach him when he was still scared and upset by what had happened with Felix, before he realized that he was his mate, no matter if the other knew or not. He couldn’t help not comfort him.

        Jisung didn’t look up when he heard footsteps, keeping his face hidden and trying to keep himself from crying. He wanted Felix to be alright, but having to go outside made it feel as if…as if he wouldn’t be, and that made him feel scared. The person to whom the footsteps belonged sat down next to Jisung, quite close to him, and when he paid enough attention to the energy pattern, he realized that it was Minho. Minho didn’t say anything, didn’t ask any question; he simply placed a hand over Jisung’s back, as if he just _knew_ that something was wrong, and it comforted Jisung more than if he tried to ask what was wrong and help fix it; he just wanted someone to be next to him, and Minho was. He leaned into the other, face still hidden from view; Jisung had no more tears to shed, or so he thought, but then he felt Minho pull him closer, embracing him, and a tear fell, making Jisung scrunch his eyes shut and hug the other tightly.

****

        When he woke up, it was with a start, the room dark, the only light coming from the serene moon that sat proudly amongst the burning stars, the darkness embracing everything else. Felix took in deep breaths, trying to recover from the nightmare. He could feel his eyes sting and his fingers itch with magic, already healed. He felt relieved when he saw that the bed was free from any black mark, not burned at all. He wouldn’t want Chan to pay for a new bed just because of a nightmare.

        When he deemed it safe to go back to sleep, he fell backwards onto the bed and closed his eyes, only to see images from the nightmare again. He opened them and stared at the ceiling, raising a hand and stretching it high to stare at it, watching with adoration as a small flame danced in his palm. He knew that his Phoenix would never actively hurt him, could feel the guilt and pain that the fire felt at hurting him. All in all, it was Felix’s fault that he couldn’t control it, but he just didn’t know how.

        He couldn’t sleep anymore, he was quite sure of that, so he grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his head, getting out of the bed and heading for the door. He didn’t really know where to go to cool down, but when his eyes rested on the door right across from their apartment, he knew. With one look at the clock that sat right at the end of the hall, he read the bright red numbers: _1:54._ There was a fifty-fifty chance that Changbin was still up and Felix hoped that he was, despite it being a selfish request; the other needed his rest.

        He couldn’t really decide between knocking and simply trying to make the other come to the door by calling his energy, although he didn’t really get enough time to ponder over it, because the door opened and Changbin stared at Felix with wide, tired eyes.

        “Felix? What are you doing up?”

        “I’m sorry to disturb you, it’s just that…I had a nightmare and I know, you probably think it’s childish, but I can no longer sleep so I was wondering whether I could sleep with you.” Only now, Felix thought that it might be weird for the other, that maybe he wouldn’t agree and then never speak with Felix again, but his fears were pushed aside when Changbin chuckled and opened the door widely, allowing Felix entry. This time, he was awake as he cuddled closer to Changbin, and in the other’s arms and surrounded by his scent, he fell asleep, feeling guarded and safe.


	20. Partying all night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wink wink* \\(^0^)/

 

        It had been two weeks since Yeji’s attack, and with no activity other than classes, Felix and the others lost almost all of the tension from within them. When they’d found Felix missing in the morning, they were livid, to put it nicely; they’d gone searching everywhere for him, around the campus, through empty classes, the library, the greenhouse, even the café, but he was nowhere to be found. Minho had been nice enough to provide them with the information that he was with Changbin, but only after they searched everywhere. He’d received an earful from Hyunjin, saying that he’d worried them. Next time, he was sure to leave a note specifying where he would be going off to.

        The weather had shifted over the time, quite drastically at that: rain was more often felt as opposite to the warm sunlight, the trees had started to shed their coverings, and less and less birds sang in the mornings, the crows and ravens taking their places with their sinister yet entertaining cawing and croaking.

        They could all feel the energy around them withering as the plants died and crippled into maroon ashes. Autumn was not merciful upon the nature, taking away all that was green and replacing it with dulled colors. It made Felix shiver and hide deeper under the blankets whenever he woke up in the morning, hating the way the cold seemed to bite away at him. It was colder than usual, and no matter how much he tried to warm up his bed with his fire, he could still feel the lingering icy tendrils.

        His phoenix had gotten restless after the event with Yeji, forcing him to practice magic and use his fire more often than he did before. It made him uneasy whenever he had to wear the charm for too long. His eyes had not been the same either, streaks of red accompanying the golden soft hues of sunset in them.

        It was quite the morning for Felix, with all the sounds and thuds coming from almost everywhere around him. He tried blocking them by placing a pillow over his head, but to no use, he could still hear them. He gave up on trying to go back to sleep five minutes later, getting up instead and grabbing his sweater blanket to wrap himself in it. He still felt tired even after a full night’s sleep and he knew to blame it on his restless phoenix.

       Pacing slowly over to his door, he took a look at the time. He almost gasped at how early it was. Way too early for a Saturday.

        He found himself heading towards the kitchen after visiting the bathroom, Chan’s tired and annoyed voice filtering through the opened door. Felix frowned. It sounded as if Chan was stressed about something, and the person on the phone was not making things easier for him. Choosing not to interfere, Felix seated himself at the table quietly, ignoring the conversation until Chan was done. He could still hear bumps, thuds and the occasional curses coming from the hallway, making him frown.

        “Have any idea ‘bout what’s going on outside?”  Felix inquired, resting his head on his lowered arms on the table. Chan dragged a hand over his tired face, dropping down in a chair across from him.

        “Today’s the last day when students are allowed to change their dorm rooms for others. Apparently, there’re a lot, and they really want to get things done fast, so they started to move furniture and stuff from about two hours ago. If you plan to go out, I suggest you watch your feet. Had a cupboard dropped on my foot about an hour ago.” Chan’s face scrunched up as he remembered the earlier pain that still seemed to linger.

        “Meaning four in the morning?! Are they crazy?” Felix couldn’t believe that anyone would wake up this early just to move out of their room, when they should be sleeping.

        “I know. It wasn’t as if I would’ve slept, but a bit of quietude while I worked would’ve been nice.” Only now did Felix notice the papers strewn all over the table, markers and pencils lost among them, Ginbu helping him a little to sort them out from time to time. He’d grown used to living with the fairies and had even laid low on the teasing, actually becoming a rather pleasant company for Felix. Phone numbers were scribbled around on small papers, and from upside down, Felix could see that Chan’s phone was close to dying. _Just how many phone calls did he need to make?_

        He could only sense him and Jisung in the house, making him question where the others were at six in the morning. In his room, Jisung and his pixie Yrys were shuffling through songs, singing softly and harmonizing.

        “Where are the others?”

        “Hyunjin is out with Seungmin, left about an hour ago, and Jeongin is…actually I don’t know exactly where Jeongin is.” Chan sighed, throwing another side-ways glance at his phone. Felix had an idea about where Jeongin was, but he couldn’t be too sure.

        “That phone call earlier… what was that about?”

        “The vice president asked me to find a food store open 24/7 from where we could order food, and each one of them had insane requests regarding the price. None can agree to deliver a large amount of food on request and most were huge jackasses.” Felix actually chuckled at the anger that Chan presented with when he spoke about the merchants. Chan puffed out an angry breath when he saw Felix laughing and leaned over to pinch the other’s cheeks. “Don’t laugh! You don’t know just how much they’ve been working me. Jihoon is all nice when giving you tasks, but with me? President do that, president help with that…although I have to admit it’s a bit fun.”

        It was true. Jihoon had given Felix easier tasks to accomplish, but just because the other was inexperienced yet with the Student Council’s way of working. It didn’t really matter that Felix insisted he could handle tougher tasks, since the party was a big event and he didn’t really want to mess things up in case he did something wrong. It had passed Felix’s mind several times to actually join the Student Council, although he wasn’t too sure he would do well surrounded by paperwork. He liked the practical work more.

        “You just look awfully cute when you’re angry, y’know? All red like a tomato…” Chan seemed to get even redder, although Felix was more than sure that he was blushing now. It made him laugh again. From the countertop, Ginbu was overlooking the interaction, a small smile on his lipless mouth. He’d never say so, but he grew rather fond of the family over the days that passed after they rescued him.

****

        Changbin was immersed with his lyrics-filled notebook, pen running along the lines of the empty page faster than his mind could register, the lyrics flowing behind in cursive black carbon. A knock at his door startled him, almost making him drop his favorite black pen on the floor, hands grasping tightly at his notebook.

        “Yeah?” Changbin shouted towards the door inquiringly. The pale sun was barely showing its face through the window. It was almost past ten and the campus was finally quiet after hours of furniture bumping into walls. Minho stepped inside as soon as the door clicked open, wearing black fitted pants and a loose grey shirt. His hair was ruffled and slightly wet, as if he’d taken a shower just a few minutes ago.

        “Morning binnie. Up for a walk?”

        “A walk to where?”

        “Jihyon asked me to go get enough alcohol for the party and I really would like someone else to come with me. I’m not sure I could carry everything on my own.” The vice president wanted alcohol? _Wow…exactly what was going to happen at this party?_

“I’ll gladly come. Seungmin coming too?” Changbin inquired as he got up and shoved his notebook in his nightstand drawer, hands smoothing down his jeans and hoodie.

        “Nah, he’s out with Hyunjin. Apparently, those two wanted to visit the town more, so they’re out exploring.” Minho shook his head at that, warm smile on his lips.

        “Young love, what can you do about it?” Changbin chuckled, tying up his sneakers and grabbing his bag.

        “Yeah, young…” Minho muttered with an amused tone, his eyes crinkled with hidden meaning. Changbin didn’t really notice, instead heading out after Minho through the hallways. He threw a sideway glance to door 77, wondering what the others were up to.

        The air outside was colder, making Changbin shove his hands in his hoody pockets, nose crinkling at the odd cold sensation. He didn’t quite not like it, but he didn’t feel pleased with the cold either. His eyes took in the grey sky, the withering nature around, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of hurt in his heart. He didn’t quite get why he felt that either. He knew he loved nature, but he was never fairly as sad as he was now. Minho sensed the change in the other, and he couldn’t help but agree. _Yeah, autumn was the worst for their kind. In winter, everything was already dead, and you no longer felt it dying._

        “Hey, I was wondering about something…” Changbin trailed off, making Minho turn his head in his direction. Under the other’s questioning gaze, he continued. “…would you be willing to teach me how to fight?” _Whoa, where was this coming from?_ Changbin’s question surprised Minho, making him stagger lightly.

        “Why would you need to learn how to fight?” Changbin blushed at that, eyes flying down to his sneakers.

        “I heard everything about what happened from Jisung and… I never want something like that to happen to me. I want to be able to fight, just like you and him. I wouldn’t have asked you had I not known that you are a good fighter. Blame Jisungie for that, he praised you lots.” Minho smiled hearing that, his heart racing a little.

        “I would gladly teach you, although I should warn you, I’m quite a stern teacher. How fond are you of bruises?”

        “Not really?”

        “Too bad, you’ll be covered in them by the time we’re done.” Minho chuckled, and it was so infectious that Changbin couldn’t help but chuckle as well. He knew, or at least thought he knew, about what he would be getting himself into. He wouldn’t back down.

        “Should I call you sensei now?” Changbin asked, teasingly. Minho bumped into him with his shoulder, making Changbin laugh. A sudden cold breeze had Changbin shivering, muttering a curse at the surprise. Wind was never his favorite.

        Across the street, as they were walking, Changbin saw a man walk slowly, hood drawn over his face and hands shoved deeply inside the pockets of his pants. He was slightly hunched over, the gusts of breath that were leaving his mouth forming a small fog each time. The position, the dark clothes, everything made something jump awake in Changbin’s mind, his eyes burning all of a sudden as he was sucked into a…memory?

        He felt as though he was smaller, placed inside a crib, the ceiling being the only thing that he could see until a man’s face appeared and blocked his view. The man wore a deep hood and everything that could be seen from underneath it were the deep blue eyes bordering on red. His face was beautiful from what Changbin could see, but his skin was grayish in color, patches of black on his neck. He could hear him whispering something adoringly, feel him brush his cheek gently, and then he was back on the streets, breathing heavily, not really hearing anything, eyes not seeing for a moment.

When he came back to it, he realized that Minho was holding him upright against a wall, voice shouting at him to snap out of it, eyes searching his wildly. Changbin could see him better, could hear him better, his eyes were azure-like for a second, and Changbin couldn’t help but feel the sparkle of curiosity bloom in him, questions about his eyes surfacing, but another wave of pain hit him, making him close his eyes and clutch at his ears, which seemed to hurt more. He brushed his fingers against them, and felt the skin vibrate. It shocked him when Minho grabbed his hands and pulled them away, asking him to focus only on him.

        Minho had almost entered head-first in a metal pole when he realized that Changbin was no longer following, his attention elsewhere. Suddenly, the other hissed in pain and scrunched his eyes shut, but not before Minho saw the telltale hybrid eyes. He took long strides until he reached the other, grabbing his hand tightly and pulling him out of the street, pushing him against a random store wall to help keep him upright.

        This was certain to be another memory of his, and a clear sign that the seal was thinning in resistance. Minho tried to reach him, but it was as if he was submerged under ice, and Minho could only watch as he struggled to break free from the memory.

        When he resurfaced, Minho saw Changbin’s eyes still shifted, and to his worry, he could also see his ears vibrate with the try to shift, to sharpen, to change. Out of instinct, Changbin raised his hands to cover his ears, but Minho couldn’t let him feel them, lest he discovered they were almost sharp. He pulled his hands away, asking him to focus only on him.

        “What happened?” Minho requested, despite already knowing. Changbin took his time to answer, still trying to calm down his burning lungs. He could feel the heat radiating from Minho, but weirdly enough, he kept searching for another. He didn’t really know what happened, didn’t recognize the man in his memory, but he felt deep down. He felt how much he loved that person and it pained him, because he could realize who it was. He felt like crying.

        “I…don’t really know. I guess my breathing got cut out all of a sudden, and I felt light-headed and…I think I almost passed out.” Minho nodded slowly, glad that Changbin was smart not to tell him anything about the memory. He was a shaman, but had a human been with him, he would’ve scoffed and called Changbin crazy had the other told the truth.

        Once Changbin managed to straighten himself up and push away from the wall, they started to walk again towards the bar from where they would acquire the drinks. During the whole walk, Minho kept a reassuring hand curled around the other’s bicep.

****

        “And you didn’t really see or hear anything?”

        “No! I’m serious! No singing, no lullabies, nothing! They all teased me afterwards, saying that I was still a baby for not hearing the siren’s songs.” Jeongin pouted as he said that, making Yedam chuckle. They’d been sitting in the library on the floor behind the last bookshelf, talking about all of their little adventures in the Fairy Realm. Currently, Jeongin was narrating to Yedam about the time when he and his family went to the Feory Lands to visit Hyunjin’s older sister, only for them to stumble into a cave that led to an underground pond that had an underwater exit leading all the way to the Arver river. They were not the only living things there, seeing as there were sirens living in the waters there too. It’d taken them all by surprise when five fairies stumbled into their playground. After Chan explained to them about where they were going, they were more than delighted to sing songs to them and entertain them while a scout of theirs searched for an exit. Jeongin didn’t not hear them singing at all, and he was more than sure that Felix did not hear them either from the way the others were shocked and he was not. Felix was just wise enough not to say anything, while he immediately complained that he couldn’t hear anything. The sirens had smiled at him sadly, whispering that tribal fairies could no longer hear them, for their powers had dulled over time and their voices could no longer reach the cursed blood within them. It saddened Jeongin, and until he was exiled from the Fairy Realm, he always paid a visit to that cave, entertaining the siren with stories of his time from before he met the others.

        “Wow, that must not feel nice. I mean, I know I wouldn’t hear their songs either, but being there and not hearing…that’s another story.”

        “You know, sea shells can make the same sounds if played by a water fairy, although it doesn’t sound quite the same. Maybe I could ask Hyunjin one day to sing for us?” Yedam nodded at that, thanking Jeongin. They’d been hanging out more frequently over the last two weeks, and Yedam was more than happy to finally have someone to talk to. A friend. His first, for that matter.

        “Talking about sea shells, I heard that there were enchanted ones that captured siren songs from the bottom of the ocean and replayed them for any fairy that was willing to listen, and they are being sold in the Crimson Sea District. I’m really tempted to go and see whether I can hear them through that, but I don’t know where it is.”

        “Seungmin knows where the Crimson Sea District is! He can lead us there one day.”

        “Yeah, that’s a plan!...right?” Yedam asked, unsurely. He was still quite reluctant to take Jeongin’s friendship for granted, not used to having a friend at all. Jeongin noticed his hesitation, his weariness, and placed a hand over his shoulder.

        “Right!” Jeongin’s smile was wide, and it made Yedam feel calmer on the inside, less worried for once.

****

        Without really meaning to, Felix had gone right back to sleep after he talked with Chan, waking up only after four more well deserved hours of sleep, roughly around ten. He dressed up quickly, ready to go out now that he felt refreshed. The sun was streaming through the hall window, although it wasn’t too bright. Felix didn’t really like that. He grabbed his coat and pulled it on, hand finding the knob and opening the door.

        His first try was Changbin’s apartment, although it appeared that no one was home from the lack of energy. Checking his phone, he found two messages waiting for him. One was from Chan, informing him that he’d be at the Student Council, and the other from Jisung, saying that he would be meeting at the Arcade with Seungmin and Hyunjin and that Changbin and Minho were off to buy stuff for the party. _Huh, no wonder the apartment felt so empty. They were probably gone from early morning._

All of a sudden, he felt a tremor go through his body, air sizzling with magic. It scared him, seeing as the charm should’ve held any kind of energy reaction at bay. He could feel something call at the warmth of his fire, his Phoenix acting up as well, but after crouching down for a few minutes, it disappeared completely. _What was that about?_

Seeing as he had nothing else to do, Felix headed out to Livander’s Tea House, although he didn’t get too far because Jihoon blocked his path. He looked tired, bags under his eyes and smile barely there. His bubblegum pink hair was ruffled, as if fingers ravaged it.

        “Felix, just my luck!” Jihoon exclaimed, placing a hand on Felix’s shoulder to support himself as he calmed down. Only now did Felix realize that the other was breathing rapidly. Felix placed a hand on the other’s forearm, frowning upon him.

        “Dude, what’s wrong?”

        “We need some help with paperwork! A few first years were late with their registration and accord papers for the party, and we need to finish them early to give them to Krey. Otherwise, he won’t let us proceed!” Felix sighed.

        “Damn paperwork…Fine, lead the way.” Jihoon walked ahead, ushering Felix to walk faster as well. Soon enough, the club room came into view, the faces of Jihyo and Chan becoming clearer as he got closer. Jihyo was their vice president, a third year  just like Chan. She had her long black hair caught in a ponytail, her big doe brown eyes lined with glittery makeup, making them pop out more. She smiled when she saw them.

        “Oh goodness, you brought Felix! Thank you!” Jihyo exclaimed, giving Jihoon a tight hug before she returned to her papers. “Felix, you’ll be dealing with that bunch over there please.” Felix nodded, sitting down across from Chan and grabbing one of the several blue ball-pointed pens.

        “Enjoying the paperwork?” Chan teased after only five minutes, making Felix huff. Chan chuckled and ruffled the other’s golden locks. Off to his side, Jihyo was talking softly at her phone, which was held between her shoulder and her cheek as she worked. She smiled all of a sudden before she threw her phone on the table and beamed at them.

        “We managed to hire the perfect speakers for tonight! And seeing as you’ll be DJ for us tonight, it’s all going to work out!” She directed her last sentence at Chan, smiling at him sheepishly. Chan groaned, knowing that he won’t be getting any sleep for the night, although he couldn’t help but smile as well through the pain. The first year’s party was always a blast and something he looked forward to almost every year.

        They continued to work in silence, accompanied by the occasional sounds of pens scribbling onto paper and the wind outside that seemed to pick up in intensity. The club room was not as big as any of their classrooms, but it had enough space for ten people to walk around and work. They had a large table placed right in the middle with chairs lining it, shelves against the walls and a mobile blackboard all the way into the back with a couch next to it. The only downside of it all was that there were only two windows lining the upper side of the back wall, barely enough light filtering through. It made the room always darker than others, despite the light bulb from above them.

        As soon as they were done with all of the paperwork, Jihyo got up and rushed out of the club room with the papers, her dress flowing behind her. The door banged against the wall, making an almost asleep Chan jump awake and look around him. Felix almost fell out of his chair when Chan’s awakening was accompanied by him slapping his hands against the table.

****

        After spending half of the morning in Yedam’s company, Jeongin reluctantly headed to Krey’s office. They were supposed to start Jeongin’s training, and he was rather scared of what that meant. As usually, the secretary winked at him when she saw Jeongin, waving him in with her arm. He nodded and grasped his messenger bag strap tightly against his chest.

        The office was cool, the green curtains pulled over the windows, obscuring the light from outside. The only source of light were the lanterns strung up along the walls, fueled by magic. Krey sat on his couch, looking up at the ceiling, chest rising slowly and eyes half opened. He was wearing a loose pair of black pants secured on his hips by a black belt, the white shirt that was tucked in them hanging loosely on his body, a little off his collarbones. When he sensed Jeongin inside the office, he did not move for a few minutes, making Jeongin fidget a little uncomfortably.

        “Have you ever meditated?” The melodious voice floated through the chamber, startling Jeongin. When he didn’t hear an answer, Krey raised his head, looking at Jeongin with a raised eyebrow, his luminous eyes reaching his soul.

        “I-I…No. I never meditated…on purpose.” Krey nodded, slowly getting up from the couch and walking closer to Jeongin. Once the other smiled at him, Jeongin felt him muscles relax and his anxiety wash away. Krey placed a hand on his pupil’s shoulder, nodding once.

        “Then we’ll have a lot to work on. I assume you’ve never shifted in your fox counterpart. Am I right?” Jeongin nodded. “To be able to do that and to access its magic, you need to reach a certain level of constant focus.  To acquire that, you need meditation. Now, leave you bag over there and follow me.” Leaving his messenger bag on the table next to the couch, Jeongin followed Krey over to the tall bookshelves lining the wall behind his desk.

        “K’velah g’lah.” _Unlock._ Krey’s hand moved along with his words, fingers following a certain patter as a rune burned against the bindings of the books. A green rune, to be precise.        

        The bookshelves folded into themselves, unveiling a hidden passage door. The door seemed old against the stone walls, it’s brown paint splintered in some parts. The handle was pure silver, sporting the head of a wolf at the edge. Krey grasped it and pushed the door open, urging Jeongin to follow.

        The room inside was close in aspect to the one from where he came, the walls made of stone, the ground covered in polished wood, green mats leaned upright against the back wall. The only things different were probably the locked weapons that rested against the wall to the side, and the lack of windows.

        “Wow, this looks like a sort of dungeon!” Jeongin exclaimed, looking around as Krey leaned against the doorframe.

        “This is where I spend my time training and practicing whenever I’m free. This is also where I’ll be teaching you.” While Jeongin started to look around more, Krey headed towards the back, fingers grabbing the green mats and laying them down on the ground. His blond locks caught the green light from the lanterns above, his eyes burning brightly. “Come over here and sit down.”

        Jeongin sat down on the first mat while Krey sat down on the other, legs crossing together in front of him, hands resting over them. Jeongin could already feel the magic crackling in the air, the heavy atmosphere settling over them, and only then did he realize that he was sitting across one of the most powerful Foxes.

        “Now close your eyes and focus on everything around you. Do not think about anything else. Hear my heartbeat, hear yours, feel the air entering your lungs, your veins pulsing with blood, the subtle vibration of the earth underneath you, the coldness of the stones. Focus on them…then focus on yourself.” Jeongin did as he was told, focusing on himself and on the sounds that he could hear, clearing his mind. He could feel the wild energy inside himself, tenderly touching at its corners, prodding, but for now, he could understand on his own that he was not yet ready to unleash such power and control it at the same time.

        Sitting there, across from Krey, he started to enter deeply in the meditative state that Krey had been talking about. He felt his mind empty of all thoughts, felt his breathing lighten, his heartbeat slowing and his body warming up with energy. It came like a slap across the face, the images from his past from before he met the others.

        Krey’s eyes opened when he felt the other’s sudden fear and hurt. His hands flied over to Jeongin’s shoulders, shaking him awake. Jeongin jumped away from the mat, eyes wide and searching, shocked to find out that he was still in the dungeon-like room and not…there.

        “You okay?” Krey eyes were wide and worried, mouth pulled in a frown. He’d not expected such a violent reaction from the other, although he should’ve. Meditating, a person could bring out even their deepest memories, unwillingly.

        “I’m…yeah, fine. Uhh…sorry ‘bout that.” Jeongin frowned, not really looking at Krey. He was upset with himself for slipping out like that. Thankfully, Krey figured out that it was a sore spot for Jeongin, so he didn’t question further, instead calling the other back to the mats to resume meditating, although on a lighter level.

****

        While they waited for Jihyo to come back from Krey’s office, Jihoon , Felix and Chan watched the news on TV and talked about the schedule for the party. Being a first year himself, Felix was quite nervous about the party, worried that something would go wrong.

        Ever since Jihoon had required his help with the party and all, he’d grown to trust humans again, if only for a little, and could even hold a glamour around them without being worried that it would fail. Jihoon had turned out to be quite the energetic human, always taking on jobs that required him to run around a lot and get stuff. Jihoon was a second year, and sometimes shared classes with Jihyo and another friend of hers called Nayeon. Im Nayeon was part of the Student Council as well, although she wasn’t see there too often.

        When  Jihyo came back saying that she left the papers with the secretary because the headmaster was busy, Felix got up to leave, messenger bag in hand, when the girl placed her hand on his arm, stopping him in place.

        “Felix, I still need to finish decorating the front part of the house for the party. Would you be willing to give me a hand?” Felix nodded, figuring that he would be seeing Changbin there when he would be coming with Minho with the supplies. Chan had laid down on the sofa, and from the light snores, he would be active for a while. With a nod at Jihoon to take care of the elder, the two headed outside and to Jihyo’s car. It would take them less than five minutes to reach the house.

        Around noon, Changbin arrived as well, carrying boxes filled with bottles of alcohol, Minho at his side. Seeing Felix, Changbin smiled, delighted to see the other. He could feel that strange feeling of longing disappear from inside his chest, making him lighter.

        “I didn’t know you would be here.”

        “I didn’t know either until half an hour ago. Here, give me those.” Felix grabbed the first two boxes from Changbin’s arms, helping him carry them inside, while Jihyo helped Minho. They’d finished with the house roughly ten minutes before they showed up, the decorations and furniture all in place. It was a shame they wouldn’t be using the beautiful pool.

        “I see you sorted everything out quite well.” Minho retorted, eyes taking in the arrangements. Jihyo nodded, face breaking into a smile.

        “Yes! Though, I couldn’t have done it all without Felix’s help!” Felix bowed lightly, small smile on his lips. He was glad to help with everything.

        They unloaded the bottles into the kitchen, filling the tables with drinks and others of sorts. Snacks were lining the side tables into the living room and dance room, and the fields outside where cleaned, making enough space for when someone decided they wanted to play volleyball or basketball in the chilly air.

        Once the sound experts arrived, they all helped settle the speakers around the house, making sure to optimize the range. Changbin had pulled Felix away from the house while they started to shuffle the music to check if everything fitted with the party, exclaiming that those speakers would blast their ears if they stayed inside now and at the party. Felix was more than glad to follow the other outside.

        “You seem rather agitated today.” Changbin noticed, walking slowly alongside Felix next to the long fountain in the park. They were rather close, and the warmth that Felix offered was more than soothing for Changbin. He could feel as if something was…pulling him closer towards the younger.

        “I’m just nervous about the party.”

        “Then I’ll make sure not to lose you from my sight.” Changbin retorted cheekily, making Felix smile widely at him, albeit with a small blush. Not really a fan of walking for too much aimlessly, Changbin sat down on the edge of the fountain, Felix opting to stand. “I heard that there’ll be a rap battle. That true?”

        “And a dance battle. Most students cannot wait for those. I’ve had a lot of them question me what type of dance moves were allowed and what songs. Couldn’t tell them, since it’s supposed to be a surprise.”

        “Not even to me?”

        “Especially not to you. Surprise, I told you.” Felix grinned, hands crossed over his chest. “You’ll like it though.”

        “I would like anything if it was from you.” Felix blushed, smiling mischievously.

        “Even this?” Hands extended forwards, Felix approached Changbin, palms pressing flat against the other’s chest, and pushed. With a short squeak and a flail of arms, Changbin fell into the pool, soaking all the water up. Surprisingly, when he resurfaced, he didn’t feel cold at all, and the water felt almost as if it was welcoming him.

        “Oh, I’ll get you for that!” Changbin exclaimed, getting up faster than Felix could comprehend and grabbing his arm, pulling him into the fountain. Felix stumbled in, dragging Changbin down again, droplets of water flying everywhere. They started laughing when they saw each other, wet like cats and at the end of September.

        “Hey you! Get outta the fountain!” A guard that was strolling through the park called out, interrupting the two in their fun. One look at the angry guard made them jump out of the fountain and run away, catching their breaths only after they rounded the corner.

      “I can’t believe you threw me into a fountain. In autumn!” Changbin exclaimed through the bouts of laughter. His dark hair stuck to his forehead and impaired his eyesight slightly, his eyes shimmering with life. It made Felix stop and stare at the other, feeling his heart thump loudly in his ears as Changbin leaned against the wall and ruffled his bangs to dry them. He suddenly had the urge to trap the other against the wall, scent him and kiss him, although, he was sure Changbin would be scared afterwards, thinking that Felix was crazy. Instead, he leaned closer and helped ruffle the other’s locks, answering the previous question with another, something fairies were thought to often do.

        “It was fun, wasn’t it?” He, for one, would never forget that memory. Seeing Changbin all drenched in water and pouting was not something he could easily forget. While Felix dragged his fingers through the others hair, he infused magic through unwillingly, the locks of hair drying faster, the other’s clothes as well. He’d made sure to settle a small ward around them that would keep the cold air outside, something he’d learned to do after several tries while reading from the book of magic a few days prior.

        “I guess it was. We need to change into fresh clothes. How about we go back to the dorm?”

        “Great idea.”

****

        It was late in the night when everyone gathered for the party, the music already blasting through the speakers and the drink pouring, the alcohol kept for later in the night. There were lamps lining the pathway that led to the house, twisting lanterns spreading multicolored light in every direction stuck in the lawn. The house pulsated with life, music and lights.

        “Proud students of KOA, WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL FIRST YEAR PARTY!!!”  Chan hollered from the stage, mic grasped leisurely between his fingers. The crowd cheered, rising their glasses high in acknowledgment. Changbin stood little off to the side with Minho and Seungmin, waiting for the rest of their group to show up. When Jisung had heard that Felix was going to attend the party dressed in jeans and a loose shirt, he’d flipped his shit, dragging a shrieking Felix back to the dorm, leaving a confused Changbin and amused Minho behind.

        Chan had been on the stage for more than fifteen minutes, welcoming everyone and shuffling the beginning soundtrack. He was dressed in black ripped jeans and a red shirt with black cuffs and linings, headphones snugly fit on his head. While she passed in front of him, Changbin had seen Jihyo wearing a red dress with a dark golden belt buckled around her thin waist, her hair woven with yellow flowers. She looked like a fairy taken out of a tale. Jihoon had dressed rather comfortably, in jeans and a white t-shirt, a denim jacket over and his round clear glasses.

        People parted close to the entrance, and from where Changbin was, he could see a familiar mop of light brown hair approach, Jisung. He’d expected to find Felix next to him, recognize him by his golden locks, but he could only see a tall boy with black hair and golden highlights in them. When the crowd parted closer to them, Changbin felt the breath get knocked out of his chest: Felix was that tall boy with black hair and golden highlights, black lining his eyes and a red scarf around his neck, the red hue catching Felix’s eyes. He was wearing a loose black shirt with metal rings around the shoulders and cuffs and black ripped leather pants. His usual sneakers were replaced by black combat boots. He looked the same way he looked when he bumped into Changbin the first day they met: out of this world.

        Felix was surprised as well, for seeing Changbin in leather  and white t-shirt did things to his heart. “Hey, we’re matching.” He shouted over the music, referring to their leather pants. Changbin had to shake his head a little to snap out of the daze he was sent into, Jisung smirking from the side.

        “Yeah, we are!” Changbin broke into a smile, following Felix when the other said he was going to check with Jihyo that the party was developing smoothly. Minho had been staring at Jisung ever since the other showed up till when Changbin and Felix left.

        “Who are you trying to seduce, firecracker?” Minho’s teasing voice reached Jisung ears over the music, making him jump and turn to Minho, face all red. Jisung was wearing white ripped jeans and a red shirt with golden pattern, the shirt pulled to the side to show off one shoulder. Jisung’s dark hair was ruffled in a messy stylish way, his makeup including, along the black eyeliner, a single red line passing underneath his eyes.

        “Firecracker?” He liked the nickname, although he couldn’t help but think it hinted too much at his true nature. Minho’s eyes glistened in the darkness. The other was dressed quite similarly to Changbin, although he wore a dark navy blue shirt that showed off his well-toned body. The party hadn’t even started fully, and Jisung could already tell this would be a night to remember.

        In the kitchen, Jeongin, Hyunjin, Seungmin and Yedam were hanging out, cups grasped in their fingers, gossiping about their classes and laughing at Seungmin’s stories from the Fairy Realm. They made sure no human could hear them.

        “I’m really sure the Selkies still remember me. I mean, it’s not every day a dragon enters their tavern and dances on their tables with them, with no shirt and red tribal tattoos on him. Damn, I miss those days.”

        “I wish I was there.” Hyunjin said with a laugh, winking at Seungmin, hands shoved in his pockets and back leaning against the tiled wall. The kitchen was the furthest place from the speakers, making it the perfect place for them to talk. Jeongin and Yedam laughed at that, both seated at the white pristine table.

        “I remember when I traveled through there. Through the Feory Lands. Although, my story is not quite as stunning as yours, Seungminnie.” Jeongin began, fingers dancing across the surface of the table. “I was traveling through the downside of Lacustra, planning on heading to visit the mermaids, but along the way, I passed a flower shop, Margrot’s or something, and you won’t believe the amount of lilies that you could find in there. Of all colors. Literally. I planned to stay as far away from that shop, but as I passed by, a nursing fairy walked outside, sneezing uncontrollably and claiming that she would never wander in a flower shop ever again. I grew curious, so I waltzed inside. Nothing abnormal under first sight, but as soon as the shopkeeper started to talk, I wanted to run out. It was a woman with a man’s voice, and all the lilies were enchanted. Strong enough magic to affect me.”

        “Don’t tell me you had the voice of a girl afterwards!” Hyunjin exclaimed, having not heard this story before.

        “Even worse! My whole body turned from male to female, yet my voice remained! You try to deal with a female body and see if you can survive. My respect for females grew even more after that week.” Everyone laughed at the sight of Jeongin’s pout, drink sloshing around their glasses.      

         Chan entered the kitchen all of a sudden, announcing that the roll call was supposed to start and that they needed to get in the main area.

         Once everyone is gathered, Chan explains how, when they’ll hear their name called, they’re supposed to come up on the stage, shout something, even their name, and jump backwards on the crowd who is supposed to catch them.

         “Now, let’s start! Choi Seungcheol!” A boy with ruffled pink hair ran towards the stage, shouting ‘Martini!’ before jumping in the crowd, everyone raising him high and holding his body securely. A few third years among the crowd started to chant his name, the first years following as well.

         “Han Jisung!” Jisung ran from Minho’s side and up on the stage, a wide grin etched onto his face. A few girls whistled when they saw him and even some guys, but Jisung kept staring at Minho all the while.

         “Firecracker!” He shouted, flying over into the crowd. Three girls followed in the roll call, before it was Jeongin’s turn.

         “Yang Jeongin!”

         “Feline!”

         “Hwang Hyunjin!”

         “Wings!”

         “Kim Seungmin!”

         “Fire!”

         “Lee Minho!”

         “Azure!”

         “Bang Yedam!”

         “Friendship!”

         “Shin Ryujin!”

         “Childhood!”

         “Seo Changbin!”

         “Music!”

         “Lee Felix!” By the time it was Felix’s turn, most of the crowd was agitated and dancing, eyes laughing with life. As Felix sauntered over to the stage, other students started to whistle loudly, some even calling Felix ‘handsome’ and ‘hot’. It made Changbin frown at hearing others call him like that, but his attention was immediately stolen by Felix. His eyes were burning brightly, a hue of red in them that stole Changbin’s breath as well.

         “Phoenix!” Spreading his arms, Felix jumped, grinning wildly at the feeling of freedom that engulfed him while above the others. He could hear his friends cheering for him, could hear the music, and suddenly, he felt as if he could deal with everything.

         At the end of the roll call, every first year gathered in groups depending on their field of study and formed circles, bringing their hands in and then shouting their field of study. Squished between Changbin and Jisung, Felix shouted along with the others:

         “Herbalism!”

         The music was turned back loudly after that, the alcohol taken out by Jihyo and spread to everyone. They cheered and then each drank a shot of Jack Daniels out of duty before being allowed to drink whatever they wanted. The dance floor was soon filled by skilled students and not so skilled all together, moving to the beat and enjoying everything.

         After the roll call, Felix felt a lot calmer than he was at the beginning of the night, his blood hot from all the adrenaline and alcohol. They were all gathered on a couch, Chan and Woojin at the middle and the others surrounding them.

         “Guys, I’m going to get some Tequila!” Jisung shouted over the music, leaning closer over the couch so they could hear him. Woojin hurried to stop him from bringing the Tequila, memories of the time he and Chan drank and he couldn’t remember half of the night, but it fell on deaf ears. Chan placed a warm hand on the others thigh, smiling crookedly at the other. It calmed Woojin a great deal.

          They soon started to compete about who could down more shots, lime grasped between teeth and salt poured onto lime leaves. Chan was the only one to drink less than the others, along with Woojin, seeing as sooner than later, he had to run around and round them up, all of them running through the rooms, dancing and giggling and talking fast. It was as if a herd of hens was unleashed in a field full of grains.

          Jisung ended up on the dance floor after ten shots of Tequila, not really drunk but tipsy. Yrys hung around him to make sure nothing happened to him and that the alcohol didn’t cloud his senses too much. As Jisung kept on moving with the beat, he felt a presence behind him, warm and welcoming, a presence that was soon accompanied by the feeling of hands encircling his waist and pulling him into a sturdy chest. A chin landed on Jisung’s neck, a mop of light brown hair coming into view. Minho’s scent was so strong and overwhelming it made Jisung groan at the intensity. They moved together with the beat, Minho’s arms around the other’s waist tightening considerably as they danced. Jisung enjoyed every second of it. It made him shiver when Minho moved slightly, his hot lips touching Jisung’s neck. Minho had no idea what possessed him at that time, but the music, the alcohol, _his mate in his arms,_ he started pressing kisses against the other’s smooth neck, from his collarbone up to his jaw, teeth nipping at the soft skin. Jisung grasped at the hands around his waist, eyes closing as a shaky breath escaped his lips, head falling against Minho’s shoulder, baring his neck to the other. The feeling of canines brushing against his neck made Jisung shudder and gasp when said canines dug deeper into his skin, lips coming down to suck at the spot. Minho soothed the bite, passing his tongue over it as he pressed one or two more open mouthed kisses on the other’s neck.

         When Jisung could no longer endure the sweet torture, he turned around in the other’s arms and leaned his forehead against Minho’s shoulder, hands holding himself upright with the help of Minho’s embrace. He felt the other’s vibrate with a deep laughter, hands encircling Jisung even more. He would allow this for himself, this small pleasure of holding his mate no matter the danger.

         A little off to the side, Changbin, Felix, Hyunjin and Seungmin were dancing together in a sort of half circle, jokes spilling between drunken lips. The rap battles were announced just seconds later, a circle freeing in the middle. Giggling, Hyunjin and Felix pushed Changbin forward into the circle. Changbin looked back at them, mouthing _traitor,_ before he turned his attention back around him, wondering who would step forward. Choi Seungcheol, the first on the roll call, was the one to step in the circle, grinning. He signaled Changbin to start first, and he did, rapping flawlessly to P.A.C.E, the crowd cheering on him. When Seungcheol took over, he started to rap a song rather familiar to Changbin, and shockingly enough, they started to rap together, the crowd getting wild. Neither won, because they didn’t really compete.

         Up next was the dance battle, where Felix, Hyunjin and Minho stepped into the circle, daring anyone else to compete. They were a force to be reckoned with. Their choreography had a little mishaps in it, but only because Felix got too excited and switched the paces in the middle of it, bumping into Hyunjin with his hips and clapping his hands as the song shifted. Minho immediately picked up the pace and joined Felix, chuckling at Hyunjin’s lost expression.

         Two hours later, Minho was sitting on the couch in the living room, relaxing in the much quieter area, when someone dropped down on the couch, head falling in his lap. Minho opened one eyes and saw Jisung grinning at him, before his eyes moved upwards to the ceiling. He raised a hand, pointing at the ceiling and laughing:

         “Look, pixies!” Minho didn’t really understand whether this was a trick for Jisung to discover whether he was of the Fae Folk or not, but he figured it would be safer not to give into his question. A human that passed by the couch where they sat laughed out loud, saying that Jisung was _wasted._

         “Jisungie, I think you’ve had one too many tequila shots.” Jisung chuckled and watched Yrys and Groovy run around the ceiling, a bottle of _something_ clutched in Groovy’s hand. It was most probably elvish alcohol. Seeing Jisung laughing at them, Groovy and Yrys chuckled, enjoying their friends drunken state.

         While others retreated to the dance room or outside to play and maybe wake up from the drunken haze, Felix rested in the kitchen at a table, seated on the wooden bench, back leaning against the table, body facing away from it. Changbin sat next to him, one year paying attention to the music in the living room and dance room, and the other paying attention to Felix. He could still feel the lingering tendrils of alcohol, the adrenaline seeping away from his body, fatigue replacing it. His body felt heavy, making him lean against Felix, his head falling on the other’s shoulder.

         Being this close to the other, Changbin could feel the body heat radiating from him, the sweet and alluring scent lingering around him, the connection that seemed to pull Changbin closer to him. He inhaled deeply and moved his head a little, lips touching Felix’s neck. The other froze for a second, his skin heating up, before he settled better against Changbin. If anything, Changbin could say that he just moved his head and didn’t realize that he kissed Felix’s neck.

         Two more hours later, as the sky outside got brighter, Chan rounded up his friends and gathered them all in front of his car, counting them and getting them in before he got in himself and started the car, driving them all back and making sure that they were safely tucked in their beds before returning to the party house. Jihyo had gone to sleep, and Nayeon was still chatting with a few third years, friends of hers, while most first years were back at the dorm, sound asleep. Chan wandered around the house, making sure everything was as good as it could be, ignoring the mess that had been created and that he knew would need to help clean up, before he walked outside and sat down on the veranda, hoping that the fresh air would wake him up more. Someone walked behind him, the footsteps growing closer until they stopped next to him and the body sat down. When Chan opened his eyes, he found Woojin grinning at him, two bottles of soju in his hands. He shook his head and accepted the offered bottle.

         “I was thinking, now that the kids are asleep, we can drink all we want.” Woojin’s eyes held mischief, making Chan grin at his friend. Chan shuffled closer to Woojin on the veranda, his knee bumping the other’s, shoulders touching and soju bottles raised high.

         “To Fae.” They both murmured, knocking their bottles together before drinking. Chan’s eyes turned from instinct in Woojin’s direction from time to time, taking the other in, the way he spoke, the way his eyes crinkled with laughter, the way they lit up whenever he found something interesting…fuck, he was head over heels for the other but he just didn’t have it in him to take his chance in case the other didn’t feel the same. The rest of his family considered Woojin family as well and it would hurt them should Woojin distance himself just because Chan was stupid, so he just couldn’t dare.

         Woojin had seen the way the other’s eyes slithered over to him from time to time, and it made him nervous yet confused at the same time. He liked the other, Chan appeared to like him, but there was this tension that seemed to make it impossible for Woojin to tell the other that the feeling was mutual, that he knew and Chan didn’t even need to say anything.

         He was so deep in thought that he almost jumped when a head collapsed on his shoulder. Chan had fallen asleep almost instantly after he finished his soju bottle, the exhaustion from over the day getting to him at last. He had dark bags under his eyes, and his face was pale, breathing faint. Woojin smiled softly at him, brushing a hand over his cheek, moving the hair out of his eyes. Chan moved a little, leaning into the touch and sighing. There would be a lot of work in the morning, so Woojin rested his head against the other’s deciding that sleeping there with Chan, on the veranda, slightly cold and stiff, was better than in his own bed or on the couch


	21. Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late~~

         Sunday mornings were supposed to be accompanied by the warm rays of sunshine, the joyous chirping of birds and the sounds of the church bells. For Minho, though, the morning was filled with a pounding headache, a sense of agitation and a blur in his memory. He woke up in the living room, sight hazy and muscles aching. He could barely remember what had happened the night before, and how he got home. And he didn’t even drink that much!

        Taking a look around the living room, he found Seungmin face down in a pillow on the floor, body sprawled across it and a blanket halfway on his body. There was no sign of Changbin anywhere around them.

        Getting up from the sofa proved to be quite the difficult task, making Minho end up crawling over to the floor and fall on his back, a pained groan leaving his throat. He looked up at the ceiling for five minutes before gathering enough strength to get up from the ground, only to see Changbin leaning against the kitchen doorframe, shirt missing and his hair ruffled and wet. He had his arms crossed over his naked toned chest, black jeans held up by a narrow leather black belt. It surprised Minho to see that the other was rather fit, and not scrawny like a university student studying through books hours upon hours would be presumed to look like.

        “Need a hand?” Changbin asked, smiling a little. It surprised Minho to find that the other had miraculously grown more confident somehow. It wasn’t a bad change, although it surprised Minho. _What exactly happened last night?_

        “Nah, I love lying on the ground, it’s my favorite past time.” Minho’s sarcasm made Changbin chuckle and walk over to him, hand extending to help the other up.

        “As charming as always with that sarcasm.”

        “Ha ha, yeah. Do you…” Changbin tilted his head to the side when Minho’s voice cut off. “…uhmm…do you, by any chance, know what happened last night?” At this, Changbin started to laugh loudly, making Seungmin grumble from the ground to _‘shut the hell up, people are still sleeping’_ although his words were all slurred with sleep. They both turned to him and watched as he turned around on the floor and hid his head underneath the blanket.

        “It was a blast, especially after we left the party.”

        “After?!”

        “Yeah! Apparently, some of the students on our hall had planned to continue the party in their rooms. Unfortunately, though, I was caught in the crossfire when I left my room to get a drink from the vending machine. Worried about why I was taking so long to come back, you came after me and we both ended up drinking even more than at the party. Man, what a mess the others made. At least I managed to sneak the both of us out before a security guard came and confiscated all of the alcohol and called lights out.” No wonder his head hurt that much.

        “Why are you so dandy right now if you drank as much as I did?”

        “Who said I drank as much as you did? You drank more than I did, that’s why. You were quite determined to do so as well, which…didn’t really make sense, to be honest. But well, it was a great night either way.” Minho couldn’t help but nod, although he was still frustrated with how he didn’t really remember what had happened.

        “Where is all this confidence coming from?” Minho inquired, waving his hand in the direction of Changbin’s body. Changbin frowned a little, weight shifting from one foot to the other and hand rising up to scratch at the back of his neck.

        “Well…I don’t exactly know where it came from. I just woke up in the morning and felt so refreshed and…it was as if something changed within me although I don’t know what?” Changbin’s voice became unsure towards the end of his little explanation, making Minho frown. He’d heard before of seals slowly breaking and making the other person either more aggressive or grumpy, but not more confident. _Maybe it had something to do with him being a hybrid…_

        “Interesting.” Was all that Minho could say as he headed for the bathroom. As soon as he was done there and took a shower, he headed for the kitchen, a hand holding his head upright. It still hurt like a bitch. The scent of coffee filled Minho’s senses, making his headache dim in intensity. His heart rate picked up and his eyes opened widely.

        Upon seeing him like that, eyes hungrily searching for the coffee cup, Changbin chuckled, grabbing one of the three cups and handing it over.

        “Thanks.” Minho murmured, chugging it up. Changbin, now dressed in a white shirt, sat down across from him, his hair almost dry. By the time he was done with his coffee, Minho’s headache had almost gone away, leaving him with a clear mind. That caused a flood of memories to hit him, almost making him clutch his head in his hands and grimace in pain. He saw himself drinking tequila, then dancing with Jisung…JISUNG!

        This time, Minho did jump up from his seat, startling Changbin. “Minho, what-“ It fell on deaf ears as Minho’s eyes widened, everything coming back to him. How he felt slightly tipsy and had bitten Jisung’s neck, how he danced with the other, how the other almost fell asleep on his lap…well…he was probably more than tipsy if he allowed all of that to happen. He couldn’t believe that he did all of that without asking Jisung first, without thinking of all of the dangers that he would be putting the other into…he felt so angry at himself for being so foolish. How was he going to face the other and not hurt him…

        “You okay?” Changbin asked after what could’ve been a few minutes. Minho nodded slowly, not really believing that he was truly alright. He wanted to sit back down and pretend that everything was alright, but now that he remembered everything about what had happened last night, he needed fresh air. Badly.

        Minho left the kitchen without another word, making Changbin frown. Grabbing his coat and one of Changbin’s black caps, he went out the door with no destination in mind.

        Inside their apartment, Seungmin finally woke up enough to look around and figure out where he was. Upon realizing that he was home, he got up and headed for the kitchen, throwing a thankful smile in Changbin’s direction when he saw the steaming cup of coffee.

****

In his office, Krey was frowning at a piece of footage, his hands clasped in front of him upon the mahogany desk, eyes burning brightly. His secretary was watching from the side, while the man across from him waited patiently. Finally, Krey opened his mouth to speak.

        “If I gather correctly, Mavlov Junger, you wish me to accompany you to this…dangerous area, so that you could help that group escape?”

        “Yes, Krey de Lav. You are known among our… _communities_ , for your great strength upon dealing with such beasts. We need your help if we want to save those hybrids.”

        “And what makes you think that I would leave my students defenseless and at the hands of danger?” The man’s eyes grew upset, his head bowing a little in front of Krey.

        “We believe that your daughter is among that group.” Krey frowned, his heart giving a painful thump.

        “It cannot be. Seya is dead. I watched her die all those years ago at the hands of the elders. She cannot be alive.”

        “She is, Krey. Your daughter lives and has been gathering hybrids around the human realm to protect them from the warrior hunters. She is the queen of the Indigo Rebellion. You have to trust me!” The man grew agitated, his eyes pleading with Krey. “She has several hybrids hidden around the human realm, all of them safe and ready for the great rebellion that is to come against the elders. Please, we need you to save her!” Krey got up from his seat and walked around his desk, nearing the man dressed in black robes and with pleading eyes. Upon placing a hand on the other’s cheek, Krey watched as Mavlov’s eyes shifted, the iris becoming engulfed in a sea of blackness, gold shining around the pupil in the shape of a star.

        “Who are you exactly? And I want your real name.”

        “I’m Matthew Quiver, Seya’s second in command. She’s…my mate. From all of her stories, I knew I had to find you if I wanted to save her. Before you ask why I wasn’t captured as well, I’ll tell you. I wasn’t captured because Seya left our compound in the middle of the night to retrieve something from a demon camp, but she got caught.”

        “I will help. Mina, please make sure the academy stays safe until I come back. You are allowed to place a ward around the university as well if you deem it necessary, although I believe your hounds are enough protection.” Mina grinned, showing her canines. Her pink eyes glistened with mischief.

        “I hope you will retrieve your daughter. What should I tell the students?”

        “That they are free for the week, and that they are allowed to stay here during the free week, in their dorms. Actually, tell them that I have a task for them, to work together on their homework and get acquainted with other students around campus. That should keep almost everyone at the academy.” Mina nodded and saluted Krey before leaving his office. Krey turned his attention back to Matthew, waving his hand for him to lead the way.

        Raising his hand, Matthew started to draw runes using the air, forming a big enough circle for them to pass through. _Mil’va_. A portal opened right up, the torrent swirling violently, making Krey frown and grumble about how he was going to puke afterwards and how he hated portals. Matthew grinned at him, grabbed his arm and pulled him through, ignoring the other’s scream.

****

When he got back home after a long walk through the chilling atmosphere, Minho did not expect to find Hyunjin and Seungmin chatting vividly in the living room, Changbin speaking on the phone off to the side, smiling. The apartment was warm, making Minho shiver at the change in temperature.

“Hey Minho!” Hyunjin shouted, waving at the other.

“Hey kiddo. Hanging out I see…” Minho teased, making Seungmin blush a little and glare at him, while Hyunjin smiled and nodded. Off to the side, Changbin hung up and stuffed his phone inside his pocket, nodding at Minho.

“Hey. I’ll be leaving for a few hours. Have fun.”

“Where are you going? Off to hang out as well?” At this all three of them blushed, making Seungmin hit Minho’s shoulder while Changbin shook his head rapidly.

“I’m meeting up with Chan and Felix at Livander’s Tea. We’re supposed to talk about some lyrics and stuff. Bye~” Changbin smiled and disappeared from the living room. To Minho’s surprise, he saw a tired Lila resting in Changbin’s hoodie. Minho didn’t stay around Hyunjin and Seungmin for long, heading to the office room to relieve some stress by reading a book.

“Hey guys, didn’t know you were here. Have you seen Minho?” Minho was taken out from his thoughts and reading by a voice that was way too familiar to his ears. His eyes widened, realizing the Jisung already came to talk with him, most certainly about the party. Minho was by no chance ready for that discussion, making his heartbeat increase and his hands fidget to figure out _something_ that he could do.

“Yeah, he’s in the office room.”

“Thanks.” As he heard the footsteps come closer to the door, and idea struck Minho like a thunder bolt. He dropped the book as quietly as possible on the table and leaned over it, covering his head with his hands and slowing his breathing down as much as possible.

When Jisung entered the office room, he was surprised to find Minho asleep over a book at his white table. He gently closed the door and approached the other, pondering whether he should wake him up or leave him to sleep. He dragged a chair from Changbin’s table over to Minho and sat down, looking at the other.

“Sleeping beauty, planning on waking up?” Jisung questioned, his voice low and teasing. When he saw Minho jump a little, as if startled, he realized the other was close to waking up, so he placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him a little.

Minho wanted to curse his body for jumping in surprise like that at hearing Jisung’s low voice. He couldn’t believe he exposed his cover like that. Getting his hands off of his head and raising it high up, he opened one eye to peek at Jisung, making the other chuckle. Yawning perfectly, Minho arched his body, stretching his hands high up. Jisung followed every movement with his eyes.

“Hey.” Minho spoke softly, hoping that the conversation wouldn’t come faster than necessary. Jisung nodded, and when his head moved, Minho’s eyes fell on the bruises that covered Jisung’s right side of the neck. _I did that._ His fairy side cheered on him, proud at having marked its mate, while his human side reprimanded him for doing that without approval and without thinking first. Jisung immediately saw where Minho’s eyes went, making him subconsciously cover his neck with his hand. Minho’s eyes flew up to meet Jisung’s, making the other surprised at the amount of guilt in them.

“Minho, what-“

“Jisung.” Minho interrupted Jisung, making him immediately shut up and listen. “I apologize for what I did last night to you. I should have asked first. I also almost put you in danger and I cannot forgive myself for that.” Minho bowed his head, hands gripping the edges of his chair tightly.

“Minho…what are you trying to protect me from?” Jisung changed his question, leaving the permission thing aside, instead asking Minho what he meant by _‘putting you in danger’_.

“I…cannot explain it to you yet.” Minho didn’t raise his head to look at Jisung, making the other frown. He was sure the attraction was mutual, or at least so he thought. He could never gather enough courage to tell that to Minho, despite being so cheerful and loud all the time. Maybe he could find enough now…

“Minho…I-“

“Minho?” Both of them jumped when they heard the sound of knocks on the office door. Jisung would recognize that voice anywhere after that night. It was Blutige.

“Come in.” Minho spoke gently, avoiding Jisung’s eyes. It hurt Jisung, since he didn’t really understand what was keeping Minho away from him. All of his courage that had been mustered up had deflated along with those knocks on the door. He couldn’t do it. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship in case he was wrong. Last night had been just because of the atmosphere, nothing more.

“Jisung, what did you want to say?” Minho asked, looking at Jisung, although Jisung could feel that he was afraid of something.

“…Nothing, don’t worry.” Jisung smiled, getting up from the chair and looking at the door as it opened, not noticing how Minho’s hand stretched out to grab Jisung before it fell back down on his lap.

Blutige entered the room, and Minho was surprised to see that she was adorning normal attire, black jeans and a red top, her hair gathered in a ponytail at the top of her head. A small necklace hung from her throat, a scepter in the middle. She frowned when she saw the upset look on Jisung’s face and the nervous look on Minho’s.

“I’m sorry, am I interfering?” Jisung shook his head and smiled, a small blush blooming across his face.

“Nope. You’re Blutige, right? I’m Han Jisung. I have to apologize for my behavior that night and thank you for what you did for us. Uhmm…bye.” Jisung scurried out under the confused gaze of Blutige. She had no idea what he meant.

 As soon as Jisung was out the door, Blutige focused her attention on Minho after she heard his prolonged exhale. Walking over to the other, she sat down and leaned against the table.

“You okay? What happened?” Her eyes shifted, trying to analyze Minho’s emotions, but she got nothing other than loneliness, fear and sadness. Her brows pulled tightly together.

“I…the one that just left is my mate. He doesn’t know that I am a shaman, and neither does he know that he is my mate. I…did something foolish the night before at the welcoming party, and kissed his neck while we danced…multiple times. Now I had to apologize for doing that and make it seem as though it was a mistake.”

“Why would you do that?!”

“We both come from the dark realm! You of all should now just how endangered everyone that comes into contact with us is. Well…with you no longer, since you have no more black blood inside you veins, but I do, and the very moment I claim him as my mate, and demons find me, they will hunt him first! I cannot allow that to happen.” Minho turned away from Blutige upon the last sentence, frowning a little. He could feel his eyes sting a little with forming tears, but he blinked them away.

“…I understand that, Minho, but he should have a choice in all this. Maybe he wants to fight alongside with you and defend you as much as you do.”

“I know he wants to! He’s a warrior fairy for gods’s sake, and a fire one above all. He would fiercely defend me, but I don’t want him to risk his life for me.” Blutige nodded, despite wanting to say more. She would be there whenever he wanted to speak freely, which was obviously not the case now. No matter, she had come for a different reason.

“Anyways, Minho. I can feel you don’t wish to talk more, so it’s fine. I’ve come here for a different reason. I wish to invite you and the SKZ family to my district for the annual Blessing Song festival on Wednesday.”

“You’re doing the ritual? Isn’t it dangerous for our kind to do it?”

“It sort of is, but I learned my ways around it. Plus, Mother Nature seems to love me particularly.” Blutige winked, smiling cheekily at Minho. “Oh, before I forget, why did Jisung thank me?” Minho blushed at that, hand covering his mouth for a few moments before he spoke.

“I glamoured myself as you to help one of their own without giving away my identity. They have a Phoenix tribal fairy and it got out of control and-“

“You glamoured as me?!” Blutige shouted, making Minho jump.

“Y-yeah?”

“Gods! Why wasn’t I there to see it?! You never agreed to glamour yourself as a woman in the dark realm, and to hear that you glamoured yourself as me? Amazing.”

“You’re not upset?”

“Why would I be upset? I find it funny to be honest.” Minho exhaled in relief, making Blutige laugh and ruffle his brown locks. “You’re really cute when you’re flustered.”

“I’m not cute, I’m manly.” They both laughed at the old inside joke.

****

        “You sure we’ll be back by tomorrow morning? I’m not really sure the others can _survive_ without me.” Chan inquired, leaning against the black car. Woojin chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the other.

        “Oh, come on. I’m sure they can take care of themselves for a day and a bit.”

        “Nope, they can’t. If either Felix or Hyunjin approaches the kitchen, it would burn. If Jeongin doesn’t pay enough attention at his plants, especially the Sigizmund ones, they’ll start sprouting bugs that’ll grow to the size of a cat and infest our apartment. If Jisung and Hyunjin were to start bickering again, we’d end up with the whole university upside down, literally.”

        “…I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”

       “Ugh, trust me, it is. You spent a week at most with them, I spent centuries.” They got in the car after Woojin threw both backpacks inside the trunk. The engine roared to life smoothly, making Chan smile. He really liked Woojin’s car.

        “So, where’s this library again?”

        “In Dangye-dong. Once we find the library, we must search for the book and pay the librarian for it, and say _malroae_ so he would realize that we are of Fae and change the book with the very same one that actually has the magic in it too.”

        “And you need this book to…”

        “Help me with my magic. You know I can barely control my memory magic, and it would be really useful, especially for a teacher. And in case someone loses their memories and they need them back, you know.” Chan nodded, leaning further back in his seat and getting more comfortable.

        Woojin reached a hand over to the radio, turning it on and switching through the stations until he settled on a soft journey track that sounded quite similar to their music. His eyes fell upon Chan’s face after he was done with the radio, finding the other smiling gently with his eyes closed, head almost leaning in the direction of the music. Woojin smiled.

        “Ready to go?” Chan hummed approvingly, giving the go for Woojin to start driving. The half nixie grabbed the steering wheel and straightened his back, eyes focused on the road as he started driving.

        Not even fifteen minutes later, Chan was fast asleep, making Woojin remember the other saying that he really liked travelling with a car, because he always fell asleep at the lull of the engine and the soft movements of a car on the road. Woojin liked seeing the other relaxed, glamour falling away slowly as his ears sharpened and his aura became stronger. He felt really proud, knowing that the other trusted him that much.

        Dangye-dong was a rather nice place to visit. Woojin had been there twice in his lifetime, and both times he’d enjoyed his stay, although this time, he wasn’t going there to spend a weekend, but rather to search for a very important book of spells and magic that would help him master his memory ability. From a young age, Woojin had been able to memorize large texts and even books perfectly, that ability growing over the years, allowing Woojin to help others recover their memories, but the more the ability grew, the harder it was to tame.

        Their car came to a stop in front of a tall gate, the guard there signaling them to move over to the parking area. Alleyways spread to their right, trees lining them, a wooden fence enclosing the green area. Shutting down the engine, Woojin turned to look over at Chan, realizing that the other was still in deep sleep. He smiled and unbuckled his seatbelt, hand ruffling his pale locks. His eyes shifted to a burning blue for a second, surveying the area around them for any demons lurking. Woojin sighed when he found none and exited the car.

        Going around the back of the car, Woojin reached for the passenger door and pulled it open, leaning in so he could grab Chan by the shoulders and shake him awake. Chan’s eyes opened just a sliver before they closed again and he smiled.

        “We there yet?” He yawned, back stretching and hands grabbing at nothing in front of him. Woojin would’ve chuckled if not for the other almost going back to sleep, the calm breeze brushing by him lulling him back.

        “Yeah, we already stopped. Come on, let’s find that library.” Woojin shook Chan again, making the other grumble and open his eyes wider. He looked around the area, noticing that they were in a rather small parking lot, and that the sun was shining on the sky, something he’d not seen in the last few days in Seoul.

        “You’re a really good driver, I hope you know that.” Chan exclaimed as he got out of the car, the bones in his back and shoulders popping after staying in a fixed position for so long. Woojin blushed lightly at the other’s words, turning around so Chan wouldn’t notice.

        “Thanks. Here, we need to go through the park. It’s supposed to be at the other end of it.”

        “Aye aye captain.” Chan sang, saluting Woojin and setting off along the several pathways. Woojin could do nothing but shake his head in amusement and follow.

****

         After Blutige left their apartment along with Hyunjin, saying that she was going to hang out with him, Seungmin and Minho went out as well, planning on buying more ingredients for dinner from the central shop. It wasn’t in their plan to stray off the path, but somehow they ended up walking along the forest line of the Cheonggyesan Mountain. The forest was beautiful, the trees still green despite the brutal autumn.  There was a certain feeling of calmness and magic around the border.

         As they almost exited the border, Seungmin stopped in his tracks, body rigid and head snapped towards the forest, his eyes shifted into reptilian gold.

“There’re intruders in the forest.” Minho frowned, muscles tensing beneath skin. His eyes followed Seungmin’s, looking as well towards the forest. “Should we take care of them?” Seungmin’s voice sounded almost…hopeful, as if he wished for the adrenaline. Minho sighed, knowing that their clothes would be destroyed by the acidic blood, and that he was currently wearing his favorite black shirt.

        “Why not?” He allowed a wide grin to bloom on his lips, fingers curling into fists and magic pulsating through his veins with power. They headed inside the forest, following the off-side track with attentiveness, ready at any moment to shift. Soon enough, a small group of middle-class demons walked right into their path, still murmuring among themselves, not noticing them yet.

        One of the smaller demons looked ahead and noticed the two figures slowly advancing, shrieking and bringing the issue to the other’s attentions. Minho cracked his knuckles and straightened his back, eyes shifting to azure as his staff materialized in his hands. Next to him, Seungmin shifted half-way, his claws growing out, canines sharpening and eyes shifting to reptilian gold, a black slit in the middle, green contouring his eyes. His hands shimmered with a green color, as if the skin was made out of scales.

        The demons cried out and attacked the two Fae, snarling viciously and clawing at them, but most didn’t even have a chance to breathe, for Minho created a barrier around him and Seungmin, pulverizing each demon that passed. The spell didn’t last for long, Minho changing his staff into a spear, made of the same material and looking quite the same, although the crystal head was replaced by sharpened silver. He impaled one demon, and then knocked the other over the head, tripping him and then plunging his spear straight through its chest. Seungmin was handling his side of demons rather well, claws gripping against their chests and grabbing at their vital organs, pulling them out and then slashing their throats to make sure they would die.

        They were hanging on quite well, the numbers of demons diminishing fast, when a pale, ghostly creature emerged from among them, its hollowed eyes glaring at Minho and Seungmin. The ghostly creature raised its arms high in the air and summoned its magic, forming chains from its wrists and sending them out towards Minho. Seungmin was the first to notice the appearance of the wraith, shouting for Minho and jumping over to him, shifting while he did so, surrounding Minho with his wings and rolling the out of fire’s way. Minho panted heavily, looking at the place where he’d been last, seeing chains impaled into the ground, electricity coursing through them.  He shuddered and looked at the wraith’s cold eyes, growling when he saw the wraith smirk.

        When he felt the strong heat behind him, he realized that Seungmin had shifted. His dark moss green colored wings were curled protectively around Minho, the membrane thick enough that the wraith couldn’t pierce through usual magic. Seungmin’s dragon form was humongous, his tail spiked at the end and strong enough to destroy buildings with one swing, his body covered in a thick armor-like skin, also dark green, although there were horns all over his body, adding to his natural protection. On the top of his head sat two sets of horns, a pair bigger and a pair curled in, his jaws riddled with sharp teeth, snout medium in size. He was a beautiful dragon, and whenever Minho got to see him shifted, he couldn’t help but be mesmerized with the other’s form.

        _We cannot defeat a wraith without using **that.**_ Minho heard inside his mind, recognizing Seungmin’s voice almost immediately. He nodded and brought his staff forward, mouth biting into his left wrist hard enough to draw blood. He poured the blood all over the staff, making it flow through its cracks and levels. The staff’s color soon turned to a dark reddish one, its body vibrating with powerful magic. Minho nodded, signaling that he was ready; Seungmin unfolded his wings from around Minho and raised his tail, dropping it over the heads of three demons, splashing them into the ground. The wraith merely threw a side glance at them before it bellowed and grinned, hands rising, ready for another attack. The wraith approached the two, making Minho adopt a defensive stance, his staff brought forward and hands clenched tightly around it. The wraith grinned and threw a punch at Minho, the hit being stopped by the shield that the staff created. Minho did not allow the wraith to be surprised by the shield, immediately plunging his staff towards the wraith and sending it straight through its stomach. The wraith didn’t even flinch, although the pale skin around the staff turned into charred black. Seungmin took care of the remaining demons while Minho continued to attack the wraith until a certain chain caught his ankle and made him stumble to the ground, losing his grip on the staff. His eyes widened as the wraith descended upon him, hands outstretched to grasp at Minho’s neck. Minho was fast enough to grab the wraith’s hands and twist them to the sides, head-butting the wraith and rising to his feet, pouncing on the creature with his fists. He knew that fighting skin to skin with a wraith was dangerous, but without his staff, he couldn’t do much, a part of him hoping that his black blood would defend him against the dark magic. By the time Seungmin realized that Minho had lost his staff and that the wraith was now fists to fists with him, Minho was bloodied in some places, blood dripping from his mouth and nose, eyes burning brightly. His hands were marred black, most certainly from the spell that he cast earlier.

        Seungmin rushed over to Minho, crouching down behind the other and swinging his tail in the wraith’s direction, hitting him in the side, although the wraith was fast enough to jump backwards. Seungmin’s tail curled protectively around Minho who leaned against it, panting heavily and grinning tiredly, knowing that Seungmin would always have his back in battle.

        Just as Seungmin opened his mouth and his throat warmed up to a golden color as his flames sprung to life, several bolts of ice hit the side of the wraith, piercing him. Both Minho and Seungmin turned to see Hyunjin with a hand extended towards the wraith, his eyes a bright blue and wide. Another figure appeared from behind him and shot a ball of green flames at the wraith as it tried to get up again, the wraith going up in flames and burning until only white ashes remained of him. Minho watched with wide eyes as Jisung stepped confidently over the leaf-covered path, his eyes burning a raging fire, hair tinted red. There were few remains of the black blood that was now slowly retreating back to his core, making Minho frown in worry, wondering why the other had lost control over it. It was just their luck that Chan had sent Hyunjin and Jisung a message to check the wards around their house to make sure they were still intact.

        “Wow…I never thought I would get to see your dragon form so soon!” Hyunjin exclaimed, rushing over to Seungmin and closing in on the other, hand coming out to brush Seungmin’s neck. Seungmin leaned into the touch before he shook his head a little and made a half grumbling half growling sound, somehow resembling a _don’t tease me._ Hyunjin’s eyes then flew over to Minho’s, took in his battered appearance, the azure eyes and the patterns on his neck, before they widened even more so than before. “You’re a shaman?!” Minho nodded weakly, a half smile forming on his lips. “Damn, you served those demons good. The ground is blackened everywhere!” Seungmin made a gurgling sound that resembled a chuckled, sort of. The ground was indeed blackened.

        Seungmin took his tail away from Minho and shifted back into his Fae form, making and ‘umph’ sound when Hyunjin jumped over to him in order to hug the life out of him. Seungmin chuckled and hugged the other back, knowing somehow that he had been worried for him and Seungmin and had probably realized what a difficult fight they had if a wraith was involved. Everyone, from the dark realm to the fairy realm, hated wraiths for how mischievous and difficult to kill they were.

        Jisung approached them slowly, still processing the fact that Minho was a shaman and that Seungmin had just been shifted into a massive dragon. He felt as if in a daze as he got closer, his eyes immediately finding Minho’s.

        “You’re Azurblau.” Was all that Jisung said, his eyes wide upon seeing Minho’s eye color. Minho felt himself freeze up, knowing that if Jisung recognized him and his name, he also realized who he was and what he’d done seven hundred years ago. Jisung noticed the panic in Minho’s eyes and the guilt in them, although he didn’t really know why those emotions were present.

        “What gave it away?” Minho tried to joke, hoping that Jisung wouldn’t hate him now.

        “Actually, I never knew anything of you as Azurblau, just that your eyes were azure. That’s why I assumed you’re Azurblau, and apparently I’m right.” Jisung allowed a small smile to pass on his lips when the other nodded and breathed out a sigh of relief. He understood that Minho would tell him everything about his past when the time would be right.

        “I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you that I am a shaman, both of you, but I would’ve endangered you just with the knowledge. I…attract demons wherever I go, and until now, I’ve been hiding from the dark realm radar and have been successful; hopefully I will remain hidden, but that doesn’t rule out the fact that you could’ve been endangered by me being in your presence as a shaman, since my scent would linger.” Minho explained, hoping that they would understand why he hid himself away. Jisung was the first to break his silence, placing a hand on Minho’s shoulder and grinning.

        “Well, now we know. I feel quite insulted that you believed we would be endangered. We! Of the SKZ family, the defenders of the fairy realm! You underestimate us that much?” Minho hurriedly shook his head before he realized that Jisung was joking. The motion made Minho sway off to the side a little, before he collapsed onto the ground, blacking out.

        Jisung gave a surprised shout and rushed to grab a hold of Minho, arms passing around the other’s waist. He looked worriedly over to Hyunjin and Seungmin, eyes widened. Seungmin rushed forward and brought a green glowing hand upon Minho’s head, frowning after a few seconds.

        “The wraith poisoned him. We need ivy and fool’s prey to heal him-“

        “I can do it.”

        “Jisung!”

        “I can heal him with my powers!” Jisung shouted at Hyunjin, determined. The other growled, close to shouting again, but something in Jisung’s eyes assured him that he wouldn’t be going too far. “Yrys, Groovy, I’ll need your help a little.” The pixies nodded and flew over to Jisung, settling on both of his shoulders. Lowering Minho to the ground, Jisung kneeled close to him and settled his palms on either side of his head, eyes closing. Yrys and Groovy placed their tiny hands on either sides of Jisung’s neck, their bodies glowing a pink and green hue respectively. Jisung’s lips moved with the quietest of murmurs, the wind around them stilling and the sounds disappearing into an eerily quiet. Seungmin’s eyes widened as he realized what Jisung was doing.

        “He’s summoning the goddess of this realm?! How can he do that?!” Hyunjin didn’t take his eyes off of Jisung while he answered.

        “Since Jisung has black blood flowing through his veins, he is much more powerful than us, and thus can summon Mother Earth, although no matter what he does, it drains him of energy almost completely. Now that he will use the pixies to form the bridge, it won’t drain him completely. Yeah, he shouldn’t be allowed to summon her, but he somehow got permission and enough guts to do just that.” Hyunjin smiled proudly while he said those words. From behind the trees, a pale blue light started to form, flying through the forest before approaching them. It was merely a small orb, shapeless and limitless in its spreading tendrils. Hyunjin and Seungmin held their breaths as the orb approached Jisung and Minho. It circled Jisung thrice before settling on Minho’s chest. A second later, the orb flew up and disappeared in a flash of light.

        Jisung came back to it breathing heavily, his eyes wide and dimmed in color. His hands were shaking and his heart was beating fast. He could feel something trickle down his nose and when he raised a hand to brush away at his nose, it came out bloody. Jisung frowned and pressed two fingers against his nostril, trying to stop the bleeding. He thanked the goddess in his mind and looked up at his two other companions.

        “Shall we go to our home for a while?” Hyunjin grinned at Jisung and nodded, although it was shortly followed by a gasp as Jisung’s eyes lost focus and he passed out too.

        “Don’t worry, that’s normal.” Hyunjin responded when Seungmin almost lost his cool.


	22. Vit'gerns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!!!~~ I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter and like it ^^ this is the first part. Second part coming in a few minutes ~ Love you all XDD

         When Chan returned from the vending machine with two coffee cups grasped in his hands, he certainly did not expect to find Woojin on the floor between two bookshelves, legs crossed and several books next to him, stacked high enough that Chan had difficulty seeing over them. He chuckled, making Woojin’s head snap up so quickly, it worried the other that it would stretch a muscle or two.

        “Geez, you scared me.” The other sighed heavily, hand plastered over his heart and shoulders sagged while Chan crouched down and extended one coffee cup towards him. “Thanks.” For the umpteenth time, Chan remained mesmerized by Woojin’s smile, his heart racing.

        Taking a seat next to the other, he started to look over the books, wondering if he’d found the one that he’d been looking for. Upon noticing his stare, Woojin shook his head.

        “I still can’t find it. It’s supposed to be somewhere in this section, hidden among the science and chemistry books. Wanna give me a hand?”

        “Sure.”

        “Alright then. You take that side, and I’ll take this one, ‘kay?”

        “Okay.” Chan got up and headed for the end of the corridor, where, apparently, there were a few books that Woojin hadn’t gone through. He slowly started pulling out each book that appealed to his eye regarding Woojin’s description, flipping through the pages. It frustrated Chan when after almost an hour, the book was nowhere to be found. He’d ended up with his own huge tower of books, much to his displeasure. It worried him that the books would fall, seeing as he didn’t really pay enough attention to stack them perfectly straight. Just when he was about to abandon the shelf, a book with a glittering pink cover caught his eye, making him huff in surprise and reach for it. _Memories upon crevices._

        “Hey Woojin? Is this book the one you’ve been looking for?” Woojin stopped his search and looked up at Chan, fingers caught between two pages. His eyes widened when he noticed the pink book, lips parting in a surprised gasp, a smile appearing on his face.

        “Yes! That’s the one! I knew you would find it.” Seeing Woojin’s smile made Chan instantly forget about how annoyed and frustrated he was with all of the wrong books that he had to go through. He extended the book towards Woojin, when the other surprised him with a sudden hug attack, knocking the breath out of him.

        When he exclaimed in surprise, he heard Woojin chuckle and tighten his arms more around him, making him feel the other’s chest vibrate with the laughter. Chan shook his head and hugged Woojin as well, leaning his head against the other’s.

        “We just need to go over to the librarian now and change it with the real one. Hmm?” Woojin tried to step away from Chan, arms going a little slack, when he noticed that the other was still holding him tightly. He frowned a little, curious as to what caused the other to remain like that.

        “Let’s just…stay like this for a while longer.” Woojin almost froze when he heard Chan mutter those words quite closely to his ear, his chin leaning against Woojin’s shoulder. They remained like that for a few more minutes, and Woojin would’ve stayed for longer, if only he hadn’t noticed the other’s scent change a little. Besides the usual family scent of petrichor and steaming green tea, his scent had a tinge of salted sea and wet sand. In order to avoid telling that to the other and cause an awkward situation, Woojin pinched his sides, making Chan shriek and shy away from the other’s prying hands, exclaiming that he was ticklish, his eyes widened. Woojin chuckled and pulled the other by his sleeve towards the librarian office room where a woman in her thirties rested in a comfortable black chair at a small desk.

        “What can I help you with, gentlemen?”

      “We want to exchange this malroae book, for a real one.” The librarian’s eyes widened and glistened green for a second before a wide smile stretched her lips, hands reaching underneath the desktop. She searched with her hand, expression focused, until she found what she was looking for, bringing the book forward with an excited _here, take care._ Woojin and Chan nodded at her and smiled, thanking the librarian for the help. Woojin could feel the power that the book withheld, only by touching it.

        It was close to sunset by the time they were done searching for the book, exchanging it and eating. As the orange and red hues played through the almost leafless trees, they waltzed slowly through the park alleyways, slowly heading towards Woojin’s car.

        “I can’t wait to see what I can learn from this book…” Woojin’s eyes held curiosity as they regarded the pink glistening book, shaped quite oddly after a butterfly.

        “I’m more than sure that you’ll manage to learn how to control you memory ability. In fact, I’m quite sure you would’ve managed even without the book.”

        “You really think so?”

        “Yeah. After all, when we met all those years ago, you saved a group of fairies just by using your memory to remember certain insignificant details that were crucial to their escape. I’m more than sure.” Woojin’s hand reached for Chan’s in a thoughtless act, before he grew flustered and apologized, ruffling his hair. Chan smiled a little, his eyes dusted with amber. Stepping over his worry, Chan reached for Woojin’s hand and intertwined their fingers, shushing the other when he wanted to protest, a blush adorning his features.

        The park was rather quiet, strangely so. It didn’t really bother Chan since that meant no one would be bothering them, human and fairy alike.

****

        “You think we should wake them up?” Seungmin inquired from his seat at the kitchen table, his eyes following steam as it blew up in the room from his coffee cup. Hyunjin shook his head, smiling a little.

        “They’ll wake up on their own accord. Wraith poison takes a lot of energy to be expelled from the body, as well as summoning Mother Earth. I don’t expect them to wake up any soon.”

        “About that…you said Jisung got permission to summon her. How did that happen?”

        “Actually, that’s quite the funny story. Apparently, when Jisung was younger, around ten years old, he was in his parent’s gardens, unsupervised. He was quite the naughty child, always running after creatures, stumbling over things because he didn’t pay enough attention, stuff like that. While running around, he somehow knocked over a vase that was quite highly placed on a ceramic column. It fell and broke, sending shards flying everywhere. Jisung, not paying enough attention, stumbled over one of the shards, cutting his knee. Unwillingly, he summoned Mother Earth then, and don’t ask me how he knew the rite for her summoning. Despite rumors, she didn’t kill him, but rather took a liking to him. It’s very dangerous whenever he summons her without a bridge, because it can take a lot of energy, but otherwise, it’s alright. For him, at least.”

        “But…why would Mother Earth, a goddess from the human realm, travel through the fairy realm?”

        “Why indeed. I have no idea.” Seungmin frowned, trying to think of a reason why she would be venturing through another domain rather than her own, when Hyunjin leaned over the table and pressed two fingers against Seungmin’s forehead, straightening out the frown. “It’s not good for you if you frown.”

        “It’s not like I’ll get wrinkles or anything like that.” They both laughed at that, launching into other small talks about insignificant things.

        In the living room, Minho was slowly waking up, feeling around his surroundings and sensing the strong wards around him. For a second, he got scared, wondering where he was and if he got captured or something, before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped up, opened his eyes widely and scrambled away from the direction of the hand, hands grasping at the now falling blanket that had been strewn over him. Once he fully regained his sight and no longer felt disoriented, he saw Jisung sitting down a little away from him, hand still outstretched and eyebrows furrowed with sadness and confusion. A blanket had been covering his body as well, the edges held together over his chest by his fingers, like a cape.

        “Jisung, I-“

        “It’s okay. I would be wary after a fight like that too. Don’t worry about it.” Jisung cleared his throat and leaned against the couch, eyes following Minho as he crawled back to where he had been resting prior to his awakening. He gathered the blanket around him more, relishing in its warmth. The house was warm too, and now that he was awake and more aware of himself, he could sense the wards that were surrounding it, safe and strong.

        “So, you’re a shaman. Never would’ve guessed it.” Jisung muttered, looking up at Minho with a small smile, barely there.

      “Yeah… I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you. I just…couldn’t.”

“It’s alright Minho. I understand. You’ve said the same when I asked you what you were protecting me from. I just…I hope that we can be friends despite the dangers. Can we?” Jisung’s eyes were saddened, and something within Minho broke at that sight, although he knew it was for the best. If Seungmin would’ve know what he’d done, he would’ve skinned him alive for being so stupid…but it would be selfish of him to risk Jisung’s life and be with him. As he was right now, it would be. If he could manage somehow to get rid of the dark blood in him, the way Blutige managed too…then he could finally be with Jisung.

Jisung felt his heart beat painfully fast in his chest, making him grasp at the edges of the blanket tightly. There was something in his heart, something that told him it was best this way and that he shouldn’t insist on knowing, because then he would be hurting Minho’s trust and care. He knew now that the other cared more than normal for him, could see it in his eyes despite Minho not knowing that. He just couldn’t realize what was so dangerous that made Minho sacrifice whatever they had…or, could’ve had.

“Of course we can, Jisung.” He could hear his own heart shatter into pieces, but he held it together, offering Jisung a small, hopeful smile, praying that the other would forgive him and understand him when he would find out that he hid away the fact that they were mates.

Jisung could no longer handle the other looking like a kicked puppy, so he got up and sighed heavily, dropping the blanket from around his shoulders. He smiled at Minho in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“You’re finally in our real house. How about I give you a tour and then we go in the kitchen, where I’m sure Hyunjin and Seungmin are, hmm?”

       “That sounds great.” Minho nodded, accepting Jisung’s hand and getting up, following the other towards the hall. Jisung presented the room to the other, one by one, until they reached the stairs.

       “Hmm…I could’ve sworn the stairs were on the right side…” Minho heard Jisung mutter, making him frown and look back at the stairs. How could someone forget the placement of something as huge as stairs? When they reached the second floor, Jisung nodded, as if he realized something, and started down the hall. He opened the door right at the end of the corridor, leading to a darkened room that had boxes stacked next to the window and a black cover on the bed. “Here, this is…my room?” Jisung looked at the room with wide eyes, confusion flowing through them. “This is actually Chan’s room. Gosh, I’m gonna kill Hyunjin.” The last sentence was muttered quietly as Jisung shook his head, leaning away from the door.

“Why will you kill Hyunjin? Did he do anything?”

“Ahh…that’s quite the long story. He learned a spell that allowed him to move rooms around the house, but it somehow got out of control and every room switched places, although I had thought that the spell had worn off by now…” Ruffling his hair, Jisung shook his head and urged Minho to follow after him as he presented the other four rooms, although two other were switched up, making Jisung stutter in naming them, Minho laughing at him.

****

The forest lay in complete darkness by the time Krey and Matthew reached it. There were no sounds coming from inside, or from outside. Everything was deadly quiet. Matthew frowned, not expecting the quietude, while Krey sighed heavily.

        “Do you know exactly what beasts captured the hybrids?” Matthew jumped in place at the sudden voice before he turned to look at Krey, nodding.

        “They were captured by Vit’gerns. Air ones. We think that they lived in this forest even from before the Great War.” Krey turned to look at Matthew, a blank look on his face.

        “You expect me to beat Vit’gerns more than seven hundred years old?! How insane do you think me to be?!”

        “I don’t think that you are insane, but rather strong. After all, you were the one that led the first Rebellion a thousand years ago, where several elders died under your hands and the Fairy Realm got back some of its freedom from when it was ruled by Deities.”

        “How do you know about what happened in the first rebellion? No, how do you know about the Deities?!” Krey grabbed at the front of Matthew’s shirt, fists tightening in the material. His eyes burned brightly, pupils turning into slits.

        “Hey, easy there. I’m no spy, I just learned everything from Seya. She found a book in the restricted area in the fairy realm while it was under attack from a demon horde and she sneaked in. That’s how she found out about everything and how hybrids we not persecuted before. In fact, they were supposed to be strong enough to defeat the demons of the dark realm and cleanse it, although the elders did not believe that, so they hid everything. They instilled the hatred upon hybrids into the hearts of fairies, while demons themselves couldn’t stand their existence since they are supposed to bring their end. It made every hybrid around the world hide and seek shelter from hunters and demons along, just because the elders thought they were smart enough. Seya wants to take everything back and finish what you started a thousand years ago.” Now he could understand why it was called the Indigo Rebellion…Krey’s wife had been a witch with indigo eyes, signaling her strong magic and the ability to communicate with Deities. She’d died in the First Rebellion right in front of Krey and Seya, bringing the end of the failed rebellion. Krey released Matthew and took a few steps back, his blond bangs covering his eyes from Matthew’s.  Matthew didn’t really know how to react now, how to approach Krey without upsetting him more. He knew that remembering Krey of Yvonna’s death was something that hurt greatly, but he couldn’t go around it if he wanted to give the full explanation to Krey and gain his trust. He really needed the other’s help to save his beloved.

        “Krey…?” He inquired softly, hand outstretching and then falling back. He waited for the other, until Krey finally moved again and inhaled deeply, head rising high, eyes piercing Matthew with new-found determination.

        “I’m alright. We’re the others? I supposed it won’t be just the two of us going in, right?”

        “No, it won’t be just us. There are ten hybrids waiting exactly at the entrance to the Vit’gerns camp. Ready?”

        “Ready.” Krey, along with Matthew, entered the pitch-black forest. Everything became eerily quiet the more they ventured in, their footsteps being the only sounds that escorted them on the gravel pathway. Vit’gerns were feared both across the dark realm and the fairy realm, because they didn’t side with either. They are ancient creatures that come from the same source as wraiths, which is the dark realm, although they somehow got mutated, their bodies captured between a dragon and a humanoid, bearing wings, tails and dragon heads that are slightly malformed and bear no skin, resembling a skull, their torsos and limbs humanoid. Their powers came from the darkness around them, and seeing as many humans nurtured negative emotions, they were well fed throughout the years, making them even more powerful than normal. Vit’gerns preyed both on fairies and demons, making their nests a no-go area. Most of the humans that wanted to commit suicide entered the darkened forests, believing the Vit’gerns to be of the Shinigami.

        As soon as they got close to the Vit’gern’s nest, they met up with the other hybrids, all armed to their teeth with fairy armor, light in weight but strong enough to fend off even dragon fire.

        “Matt, it’s nice to see you back in one piece. Krey de Lav…it’s an honor.” The hybrid with fiery curls and blue eyes bowed, a hand over his heart. The other hybrids followed suit, smiling a little at the sight of Krey. They knew they would be getting their leader back just by him being there and helping.

        “It’s good to see you too, James. We need to get going already, or else the Vit’gerns will catch our scent. The warlock’s spell will wear off sooner or later.” James nodded, signaling to the other hybrids to get moving. Krey and Matthew followed them over to the entrance in the nest, a hole in the ground big enough to fit a single person. Krey fought the urge to groan at the sight; he hated small spaces. Matthew didn’t take notice of Krey’s discomfort, gesturing for the others to start moving in. One by one, the hybrids dropped down the hole, their eyes shifted and claws extended. They seemed used to stuff like this. Matthew and him were the last to follow.

        “Is there no other entrance, Matthew?”

        “…no, unfortunately. It seems as though these Vit’gerns grew rather fond of tiny spaces. And please, call me Matt.” Matt grinned and then jumped in as well, disappearing from Krey’s sight in under a second. Krey growled, exasperated, and jumped down the hole, closing his eyes tightly.

        When his feet hit ground, he opened his eyes, a surprised gasp leaving his throat. He’d expected the nest to be just as small as the hole, but it was bigger than his office room. This was only the welcoming hall, which meant that the more they would venture in, the bigger it would become. Krey didn’t believe until then that Vit’gerns were diggers. Now he did.

        “The center of the nest is just ahead. My guys checked the perimeter before you two arrived. We should take a left and then a right and reach a massive ark of stone. There’s the center and where the Flügelyr fairy foresaw the others to be. Oh, and there should also be a fireplace close.” James explained, crouching behind a column of stone. A girl with reddish brown locks and feline hazel eyes that turned golden nodded at James and ran forward, shifting along the way into a small fox that barely reached a normal cat size. _These hybrids must’ve learned how to control their shifting size. I guess they’re really good._ The now reddish brown fox ran along the walls, graceful enough that she didn’t make any noise at all. James watched her disappear ahead before he ran out from his spot and after her, the other hybrids and Krey following.

        “Why did she go forward first?” Krey questioned quietly, close to Matt. The other looked at him quickly from the corner of his eyes before looking back ahead, keeping up with the group.

        “That was Sarah. She’s a really good kitsune hybrid that almost always goes ahead during raids like this, since she has the ability to teleport as soon as she encounters danger, and the sound that she makes is really loud, alerting us of any dangers approaching and pulverizing the creatures that approach at the same time.”

        “Wow, she seems incredible.”

        “She really is. One time, Seya got caught in a room during a raid and she couldn’t escape. One of the creatures found her and tried to murder her, saying that hybrids should not rise again and that she deserved to die, but just then, Sarah found her, knocked open the door and grabbed onto Seya, teleporting the both out of there. When we entered the room to see if Seya was there, all that we found were the sprawled remains of the creature, a pool of blood around it. Sarah’s abilities are really powerful and above all, she’s a really good fighter. She’s actually the fourth in command, with James on third place and myself on second. More often than not, she takes my place while I am away on missions with James.”

        A sound that resembled an angel’s trumpet vibrated throughout the cavern, announcing that Sarah had encountered an enemy, making all of the other hybrids unleash their full features, canines snapping angrily at the sight of the Vit’gerns.

        James charged head first, eyes bearing wild fire and hands aflame. Sounds of claws clashing and growls exchanging resounded throughout the cavern as the hybrids clashed with the Vit’gerns, Matt slipping away from the fight to look after the hostages. Krey followed after him, knowing that the others were capable of fighting the Vit’gerns just by looking at them. The Vit’gern Queen was the one to fear.

        Right by the stone ark, there was a campfire, the hostages bound and thrown against the wall closest to it. Most of them were still passed out, as if a spell had been thrown over them, only one hybrid being awake. Krey froze, eyes wide and blood cold in his veins. Matthew bumped into him from behind, exclaiming and asking why the other had stopped, when he looked up over Krey’s shoulder and saw Seya, bound tightly with silver rope and thrown against the wall, ankle bound with a wire to a beaten-in metal rod. Her forehead had a large gash that seemed to be still bleeding, her face bruised and clothes ripped in places from where claws scratched at her skin. She had a scarf over her mouth, most probably to stop her from talking or shouting, and handcuffs on her wrists. She was restrained as much as possible. A few strands of her golden locks were obscuring her vision, but she immediately straightened up upon noticing her rescuers.

        Her violet eyes flew up at Krey, becoming as wide as an owl’s. She shouted something, though it couldn’t be distinguished what, and her eyes filled with tears. Only after that did Matthew realize that she’d said _dad._ He felt a claw over his heart, gripping it painfully at the two getting back together. He barely got to meet his parents before they were killed, so he didn’t feel the same longing that Seya always felt, knowing that her father was out there somewhere and she couldn’t get to him; he only felt the loss of never having a parent to look after him.

        Krey took a step forward, hand reaching forwards for his daughter, when a tail snapped over it, almost breaking it if not for Krey’s fast reflexes. He tugged his hand back and looked to his right, eyes narrowing upon seeing the Vit’gern queen. She stood tall, taller than her minions, eyes hollowed and hands burned to a black color. She had a black leather chain around her neck that seemed to harness all over her body, bones hanging from it of different types. It was known that all queens got to be ones through murder and bounty hunting, killing even their own just to become queens. She reeked of black magic. Just what Krey needed.

        “Matt, go over to Seya and release her. I’ll take care of the queen.”

        “You’re crazy! You cannot take on the queen on your own!” Matthew shouted, Seya agreeing with him through a grumbled mess of words. Krey turned his head to look at Matt, ruffled blond hair falling into his eyes, and grinned widely, showing his sharp canines. His eyes were shifted to a very light electric blue, pupils turned into slits and ears sharpened.

        “Watch me.” With those simple words, Krey turned towards the queen and jumped at her, shifting mid-air into a massive fox, the size of a big wolf, with white fur that shone golden into the fire light, claws scratching the ground as he bought more force to leap at the queen who had distanced herself as soon as she heard Krey.

        Krey brought his front paws against the queen’s chest and dragged them down, causing eight gashes to appear in the ghostly pale skin. He brought his jaws down on the queen’s neck and bit deeply, ripping through skin and ravaging her neck as much as possible before the queen pushed him off of her and flapped her wings to get away from him. As she turned to leave, most likely in order to heal and get more power, Krey pounced on her wings and pulled them apart with his jaws and claws, a sickening crunch resounding through the cavern along with the queen’s pained cries. The queen brought her hands forward and formed a circle of moving black masses, skulls pushing through the borders of the orb as if alive. As she turned around and threw it at Krey, both Matthew and Seya shouted, knowing that Vit’gern poison was deadly to all fairies, no matter how powerful. Krey laughed in his mind, feeling his fox laugh at the madness of it all, enjoying it. He took two steps back and as the orb got closer, he sat down on his back paws, tilting his head at the queen. She stared at him with a frown, wondering if he had a death wish, when all of a sudden, the orb exploded in a shower of black, hitting against a blue shield that formed instantly around Krey and next to him. He revealed one canine in a sort of smirk, before he growled loudly, the sound wave traveling all over to the queen and knocking her down. Krey got up and waltzed over to her, his tail wagging in the air, the fox excited for another enemy taken down.

        When he reached the queen, he leaned over and placed a paw on her chest, keeping her down as she tried to get back up. He neared his muzzle close to her face and smelled the fear off of her before he growled and ripped her jugular apart, claws reaching inside her chest and pulling out her heart. The queen collapsed onto the ground, her body turning rapidly into decaying black and then ashes. Krey stepped away from her and shifted back into human form, breathing heavily. The fight had tired him a little.

        During the fight, Matthew made quick work in releasing Seya from her bindings, hugging her tightly once she was free of the restraints. She was shacking a little, something she only ever allowed in Matthew’s presence. After all, she was the queen of the rebellion. She couldn’t be seen as weak.

        When they realized that the fight was over, they turned to look at Krey, who was still standing in place, looking at the queen’s ashes. Seya slowly got up on her feet and leaned a little into Matthew’s side for support. He passed an arm around her waist to keep her up.

        “Dad…” Seya began, but then stopped, not really knowing what to say to her father, whom she hadn’t seen for almost a thousand years. She knew all that time that he was alive, knew even where he was, but she couldn’t go back to live peacefully with him. It broke her heart. After the elders almost killed her and she got away using a blood spell, she’d been classified as wanted, dead or alive, by them. She’d been hunted ever since, and her only hope of keeping the last of her family safe, was to not approach them. She couldn’t believe that Matthew had involved her father in all of this, bringing him in great danger. It made her almost want to beat the hell out of him, mate or not. Seeing him now, after a thousand years, made Seya’s heart thump painfully in her chest with longing and sadness. She had no idea what to say, how to apologize for stay away for so long, for running away from him just to keep him safe. “Dad, I’m…” She tried again, but this time, her voice got caught in her throat.

        Krey breathed in deeply and turned around at last, his green eyes glossy with unshed tears. He’d thought her to be dead, long gone from the land of the living…yet there she was, a woman in all the aspects, no longer the teenager that had helped him build the rebellion along with her mother, his wife. She’d grown to be so strong, leading a rebellion of her own…he felt proud; he couldn’t be upset at her that she stayed away.

        With big strides, Krey walked towards Seya, who started to shake her head, her hands brought forward as if she thought that he was angry, as if she wanted to explain more, but then Krey gathered her in his arms the way he used to when she was just a little girl, and Seya broke down in tears, something Matthew had never seen her do in all their five hundred years together.

****

        “What should we do…?” Woojin inquired, leaning against the side of the car, eyes following Chan as he held himself with one hand against the hood of the car, the other hand checking out the engine pieces, frowning in confusion. He just couldn’t figure out what had caused the engine to die so suddenly in the middle of the road. They’d pulled off to the side and had been trying to start the engine ever since.

        “I…think we should go back to Dangye-dong, see if we can find a mechanic in the morning. Do you know any hotel where we could crash for the night?”

        “Of course I do, but…how’re we gonna get there? After all, we have no car.”

        “We could…hitchhike? I mean, there’re a lot of cars travelling right now, despite the late hour. One of them is sure to stop.” Woojin nodded, albeit a little reluctantly. He was quite wary of hitchhiking, but being with Chan somehow made it feel safe. Woojin watched as Chan pulled down the hood of the car and snapped it shut before heading for the driver’s seat and leaning inside, grabbing the keys and shutting the engine.  He took his backpack out from the passenger seat and the closed the door, locking the car. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the keys flying over to Woojin’s awaiting hands, a mischievous smile on his lips.

        Woojin followed after Chan as the other headed for the street, backpack strapped tightly on his shoulders and hand outstretched with his big thumb facing upwards. His posture, his relaxed smile, everything about Chan screamed that he’d gone hitchhiking before, surprising Woojin. In fact, he’d surprised Woojin so many times that the other lost the count.

        After half an hour of standing on the edge of the street in the calm breeze, they managed to grab the attention of an old car driven by a lady in her sixties. She had her two grandchildren with her in the back, toys spread all over the bench. The five and four years olds started to giggle at the sight of them, most probably considering them to be toys as well. Much, much bigger toys with which they could have fun. Chan had simply thrown a scared look over his shoulder as Woojin pushed him inside and closed the door, locking him in with the two daredevils, while he took the passenger seat.

        “I swear, I’m never riding with kids, ever again.” Was what Chan exclaimed as soon as the car drove away from the hotel. He reached up with his hands, searching through his hair as if to get rid of insects. To Woojin’s shock, he saw a small red truck fall from Chan’s curly locks, making the other curse and grimace.

        “What exactly happened while I was talking with the old lady?”

        “You gave me to the jackals, that’s what happened! They thought that I was their _older brother_ and made me play with their toys! They laughed at my hair and called me a kid. _A kid!_ The nerve-“ Chan stopped talking almost as soon as he heard the melodious laughter that left Woojin’s mouth. He was stunned by the sound, his heart giving a weird thump in his chest. His eyes widened and the hands that were still ruffling at his hair froze. Woojin was too busy laughing to notice, his eyes scrunched shut and hands wound around his waist, holding his stomach as his entire body shook.

        Chan hummed softly, a small, silly smile lighting up his face at the sight before him. When it came to Woojin’s knowledge that the other had been silent for quite a long time, he opened his eyes and looked at Chan, cheeks instantly lighting up a bright shade of red at the smile present on the other’s lips.

        “I didn’t know that I was really that funny.” Chan teased, making the other hit him over the shoulder and turn around on the balls of his feet; he started to walk over to the hotel entrance with determined footsteps, face turned away from Chan in an attempt to hide the barely contained smile.

        The inside of the hotel was warmer than the outside, making Woojin shiver at the change in temperature. He was really glad for the warmth, only now feeling the coldness of his fingers and nose. Chan followed after him, and when he entered inside, Woojin noticed that the other’s nose was red too, making him chuckle.

        The receptionist looked at them weirdly when they approached the desk, most certainly because they were the only ones awake on a ten mile radius. The weird look soon dissipated once Chan explained what had happened with their car and how they needed a place to stay until morning. The receptionist was kind enough to give them the local mechanic’s phone number and a room at half the normal price, saying that having your car give up on you in the middle of the night was an awful thing that he sympathized with.

        “I hope it won’t be too much of a problem, but our last empty room has a single king-sized bed, usually occupied by couples that come to visit.”

        “Oh, it won’t be a problem; any room right now would be good enough. Thank you for your kindness.” Woojin smiled naturally, making the receptionist’s eyes widen a little at the calmness that rushed through his body. It was as if the other had enchanted him somehow. Chan observed the whole interaction, frowning a little bit since he knew Woojin to not have enough control over his charming abilities. He really needed to speak with the other about them.

        Grabbing the key-chain from the receptionist, Chan rearranged the backpack straps on his shoulders and headed for the elevator, pushing the fourth button before leaning against the wall next to it. Woojin went to him after bidding a good night to the receptionist, smiling as he saw the other reach for his phone in his left pocket, most probably to play an annoying level from one of his jumping games. Woojin adopted a similar pose to Chan’s next to him, hands shoved in his pant pockets, head leaned to the side so he could see the other’s screen.

       “Lose.” Woojin murmured with a barely concealed smile, his voice disrupting Chan’s focus the way a rock would send ripples along the surface of a peaceful lake. Chan watched with wide eyes as his own fingers did not follow his commands, freezing as he tried to make the ball sway to the right, only for it to remain in the same place and smash against the upcoming block of cement. He continued to look at the screen as the word _loser_ appeared in big, bold red letters. Next to him, he could hear Woojin’s laughter, making it all the more worrying. After all, Woojin really didn’t know about his charming abilities, if this was proof enough.

        There was a ping sound close to them, followed by the elevator doors opening. The hotel was quite grandiose in its line, Woojin knew, with all the wisely chosen tapestry, the dark colored carpets, the big welcoming hall, the paintings that portrayed ancient battles and important historical events…it was very appealing. The inside of the elevator reflected the same aesthetics as the hotel did, bearing large mirrors on the sides and back, the lower half of it painted a darker red and the lights above dimmed. It made for the perfect soothing atmosphere, if not for Woojin’s slight fear of elevators. He chose to focus on Chan all the way up.

        The hall was quiet when they arrived, not even the sounds of AC’s working being present. It felt quite deserted,  to say the  least. Their room was right at the end of the hall, approximately twenty meters away from the elevator.

        Woojin watched Chan from behind while the other bent forward a little to check if he was holding the key correctly before inserting it and opening the door, allowing him to enter first so he could also lock the door behind them.

        The room was medium-sized, not too big that you would feel haunted in it, nor too small that you would develop a sense of claustrophobia. It was perfect. The bed sat directly in front of the door with two nightstands on either side of it, a tall wardrobe off to its right. Next to the wardrobe was a door slightly ajar, revealing the small bathroom.

        “I’ll take the left side!” Chan exclaimed, dropping down on the bed and sending the backpack flying off to his left. Woojin chuckled at the other’s antics, remembering the first time they shared a hotel room like this when they first met all those years ago. Sitting down on his own side, Woojin took off his backpack and searched through it for the book that they’d spent the whole morning looking for. It sat right at the bottom of the backpack underneath granola bars and a jacket. Woojin took it out, mindful of its corners so they wouldn’t bend. The pink cover started shining as soon as the moonlight filtered through the window, the magic thrumming with life even more. Woojin felt attracted to the book, just by looking at it.

        “Woojin.” Chan’s voice snapped him out of the weird trance-like state, making him turn around to look at the other, hand dropping the book on the nightstand. “Are you aware that you can charm others?” Woojin blushed, thinking that Chan was being flirty yet again, but upon seeing the other’s serious expression, he realized the other was truly meaning the question. He shook his head, not really getting what the other was asking. Sighing heavily, Chan sat up on the bed and leaned closer to Woojin, making the other go cross-eyed a little. “Nixies are known to be capable of charming people. What I mean to say is that you are capable of charming people using your words and smile.”

        “I can’t possibly manage to do that.” Woojin denied the other’s words, shaking his head. “I never tried to charm anyone! Why would I do it?” Chan’s hands reached out, anchoring Woojin in place.

        “Woojin, hey, I’m not saying you intentionally charmed anyone, but…unintentionally. I wondered the first time you did it whether you were aware or not, but only now I realized that you are unaware. You charmed me just a few minutes ago while we were waiting for the elevator. Remember that _lose_ part? I actually felt my fingers freeze up when you said that.” Woojin’s eyes widened more than Chan thought would be possible, his body going rigid.

        “I…did that?” He looked up at Chan with worried eyes, fear seeping in them, making Chan regret that he brought it up. He felt himself nod at Woojin’s question, making the other lower his head and stare at his hands. Chan didn’t know how to comfort him, how to tell him that it wasn’t a bad thing, that it was something that made Woojin himself. Chan didn’t have enough time to think about what he should say, because Woojin suddenly looked up at him and narrowed his eyes a little. “Shift.” He said, and all of a sudden, Chan felt his glamour slither away from his body, his eyes burning a vibrant amber, ears and canines sharpening, the tips of his claws piercing the blanket strewn over the bed a little. He could feel Woojin tremble beside him, if from fear or amazement, he couldn’t tell. Reaching a hand out towards Woojin, he physically felt the backlash when the other pushed his hand away and leaped up from the bed, eyes widening after he realized what he’d done.

        “I’m so sorry…I don’t know what came over me.” Woojin said after five minutes, staring at the floor with wide eyes. “I’ll…go take a shower. Yeah.” He turned around and headed for the bathroom, clicking the door shut on his way. Chan sighed, racking a hand through his hair and falling back down on the bed. He’d hoped this to go better than ending up with Woojin locking himself in the bathroom, surprised with his powers.

        Woojin took longer in the bathroom than he’d wanted, so by the time he returned to the room, hair dripping water and body refreshed, Chan was asleep. He was in the same spot where Woojin had left him, hands sprawled across the pillows. Now that he’d had some time to think it through, he realized that he’d been using this charming ability for years without realizing it. It scared him, knowing that he could control a person with just a word.

        He would have to wait until Chan woke up to learn more about his other ability, seeing as the other knew fairly enough about it. In the meantime, he might as well read through the _Memories upon crevices_ book. Woojin shifted, allowing his powers to roam free so he could stay up for longer without feeling the need to go to sleep and read as much as possible from the book.

****

        As soon as Seya felt good enough to move, they left the Vit’gern nest and walked back to the makeshift camp that the hybrids had almost a mile away from the Vit’gerns. It was a long road, but somehow, they got it covered in under half an hour.

        The camp was well hidden, the trees blocking any sight of it. There were around four tents and a small campfire in the middle of them, logs thrown next to the fire to provide a place for the hybrids to sit down around it. The tents were quite big, big enough to fit ten people while standing. Surrounding the camp was a wooden fence, the edges sharpened enough to pierce a person should one fall against them.

        Krey followed Matt and Seya inside the tent, looking around with wide eyes, taking it all in. No matter how many times they told him about how they’d made the camp and arranged it, it still surprised him to see how well organized they were. Sarah and James were closely walking behind him, their footsteps barely audible. The air was warm inside the tent, the scent of lavender and ashes wafting around them. Inside, there was a map pinned to a wooden table with the help of two knives, red X’s marking locations from where she’d either saved hybrids, or was on the way to.

        “Sarah, did you encounter anyone on your way back to camp?” Sarah shook her head, taking a seat at the wooden table next to James. She’d walked ahead of them as a precaution in order to make sure that there was nothing else that could put them in danger, seeing as half of the hybrids were still dazed from whatever had put them to sleep.

        “The path was clear, Seya. Although, I should say that the forest was quieter than normal. Maybe something else happened as well while we were at the Vit’gern nest?”

        “I noticed that too. It could just be that the Vit’gern queen died, making the other creatures around hide in fear of being killed as well?” James added, looking up at Seya. She was seated at the head of the table, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. Her hands were gathered in front of her, body leaned forward. Krey took a seat across from Sarah, ready to listen to Seya as well.

        “It could be that, although I’m more inclined to believe that the demons around the area found something more interesting and left. You see, right here we have another possible location for a hybrid. If they made the wrong move, they could’ve attracted their unwanted attention.” Seya moved her fore finger over the map, following a line from their camp to an X a few centimeters away.

        “Should we head over there and see if the hybrid is still in the area?”

        “Yeah. Sarah, please prepare your team for a raid. I’ll come with you along with Matthew. Now, please leave us. I wish to speak with my father alone.” Sarah and James nodded and bowed a little, both setting out to follow Seya’s orders. Once they were out of the tent, Seya leaned back into her chair and sighed, closing her eyes a little. Krey could see the tiredness that she wore just from the way she sat in the chair, her muscles tense and magic ready to be used at all times. Being the queen of a rebellion most certainly took a toll on her.

        Matthew headed towards the small bed, placed right at the back of the tent, and sat down, leaning with his head in his palms and his elbows on his knees. His black locks were ruffled and painted with dirt, the dark color becoming lighter because of that. Krey, who’d been sitting silently at the table, opened his mouth to speak, although Seya beat him to it.

        “I guess you must have a lot of questions, right dad?” Krey felt himself nod, eyes focusing on Seya’s violet ones. “Well then, ask away.” Her smile was gentle as she said that, but also fearful, as if she didn’t know what to expect of his questions. Krey decided that it was best to start with the heavy questions first so they could get the facts out of the way.

        “How did you manage to survive the elders? I mean, I watched you die right in front of me…yet here you are.”

        “When they tried to kill me, another hybrid that had been captured along with me saved me. He had a similar ability to Sarah’s and managed to teleport us away from the elders. His ability differed in the fact that it left a mirroring image of our bodies behind, tricking the elders into believing that we’d died…tricking you as well. After that, I hid away for almost a hundred years, before I decided that I should pick up the failed rebellion from the ground and build it back up, stronger than before. Currently, I’m rescuing as many hybrids as I can, and those that want to, join my rebellion.”

        “When do you plan to attack?”

        “We are still preparing, so we don’t have an exact date. But…we know that a revolution is set to happen in the Fairy Realm somewhere next year, which would make it the perfect opportunity for us to act.”

        “Why…why didn’t you look for me after that year?” Why didn’t you come back? Seya looked down at the table, the question being more than expected. She just didn’t know how to truly answer it.

        “I…didn’t want to endanger you. I’d planned to lead the Indigo Rebellion successfully towards the end, and then reach out to you. I couldn’t handle the thought of another family member dying. Not after mom.”

        “And now that I’m here? What will you do now?”

        “Well…firstly I’m going to beat Matthew up for bringing you here in this mess…and then I’m going to ask for your advice regarding the rebellion.” Seya smiled a little, hopeful smile, making Krey nod and smile as well, while Matthew looked from one to the other with wide eyes, hoping that Seya had been joking about the punishment. He understood that she wasn’t joking as soon as their eyes met and a malicious grin grew on her lips. There was a certain reason why Matthew never stepped over Seya’s words…

        “I wonder-“ Krey began, when Sarah knocked against a metal bar and entered the tent, nodding once at Seya to announce that they were ready to go after the hybrid. Seya turned towards her father.

       “What do you plan to do now? Go back to the university, or help me find that hybrid?”

        “I’m coming with you.”

****

        It was approximately four hours later when Chan woke up, to be precise. He opened his eyes slowly, noticing the lack of light in their room. The other side of the bed felt warm, although upon looking, Chan realized that he was alone in the room. He frowned and got up, looking around the bed. Still, there were no signs of Woojin.

        A sudden chilly breeze entered the room, drawing Chan’s attention to the opened balcony door. He threw aside the blanket and rose to his feet, slowly approaching the balcony. To his utter surprise, Woojin wasn’t there either.

        Up here…He felt the words brush past his ear, brought by the wind. His ears fluttered, and, as he looked up, his eyes shifted to light amber as he found Woojin sitting atop the hotel, on the roof. There were only two floors between him and the rooftop, making it quite easy for him to climb up using the side windowsills.

        “Enjoying the view?” Chan questioned once he reached the rooftop, settling down next to Woojin. The other shrugged, showing Chan that he’d been reading from the pink book. Chan hummed and passed his hands around his knees, propping his head against them. “About your abilities Woojin…they’re completely normal. You shouldn’t be upset if you unwillingly made someone do something, because it’s in your blood. Yeah, you can control your charm, but you need to know that it’s not a bad thing, alright?” Chan stared into Woojin’s eyes until the other nodded and looked back at the book.

        “Did I use my power a lot on you?”

        “Not really, no. You probably used it for a total of four times, maybe. And all of them were insignificant, and half as strong as what you pulled tonight.” Chan smiled crookedly at the other, trying to reassure him that everything was alright.

        “I just…I feel as if I broke some sort of trust when I used my…charming ability like that.”

        “No! No, Woojin, that’s nonsense! You broke nothing, because I already knew about your ability. Plus, I could never get upset at you.”

        “Why?”

        “Why what?”

        “Why do you never get upset with whatever I do? You’re always so supportive, no matter what I did in the past and…I just don’t understand why…” No amount of liking a person could make someone pass over certain knowledge.

        “I…” Chan seemed at a loss of words, as if he’d been pinned against a wall with a fork at his throat, forced to spill his darkest secrets. Maybe they were his darkest secrets that were making him such a nice person. “I like you Woojin. And…not the way a friend, or a brother might, but like a mate. I know this must come like a real surprise and…honestly I don’t even know why I said this…I just! I just…hope that you won’t break off our friendship because of this and I would totally understand it if you would but-“Chan’s flow of words got interrupted in the most cliché of ways: through a kiss.  Woojin had placed his palm on the other’s right cheek, leaning in with a chuckle and kissing the other. With a gasp, Chan jumped away in surprise, wide eyes watching Woojin with shock. Seeing as all of his focus had been on Woojin and what had happened, Chan forgot that they were on a rooftop and got up as if to walk away from Woojin, when the ground ended beneath his feet.

        “Chan!” Woojin shouted as the other fell off of the building.

****

        Early in the morning, Hyunjin started Chan’s car so that he could drive Jisung, Seungmin and Minho back to the university, seeing as the wards were still intact and as powerful as ever. Their night there had been quite uneventful and slightly tense as they watched a movie in the living room with two bowls of popcorn and a Seungmin between one Jisung and one Minho. Hyunjin had opted to sit down on the floor beside Seungmin’s feet, sometimes leaning his head against the other’s knees when he got too sleepy. They ended up falling asleep in the living room, Minho and Jisung both using Seungmin’s shoulders as pillows while Hyunjin had used his kneecap. Seungmin was simply the softest person that they knew, making him a perfect pillow; of course that in the morning, they were all stiff and sore.

        The drive to the university was short and silent, and when Hyunjin parked, both Jisung and Minho got out at the same time, wanting to go in separate direction, when Hyunjin rushed out from behind the wheel and draped an arm around Minho’s shoulders, exclaiming that he couldn’t wait to see Felix’s and Jeongin’s reactions when they would learn that Minho is a shaman. Seungmin shook his head and smiled a little at the look of despair on Minho’s face, pushing both him and Jisung in the direction of the dorms.

        “Hey guys! Wake up and open the door!” Hyunjin shouted and rapped his knuckles against the wooden door, face lit up with excitement. A bleary eyed Jeongin opened the door, his eyes widening when Hyunjin jumped at the other to hug the life out of him. Minho looked at Jisung with wide eyes and an expression that said Is he like this all the time?, making Jisung barely keep himself from laughing. Jeongin was flailing his arms around by now, saying that Hyunjin was trying to kill him and Felix, you bastard, get this leech off of me, while Felix continued to sleep his life away peacefully.

        After five more torturous minutes, Hyunjin released Jeongin, running inside their apartment to find Felix. A sudden strangled shout let them know that Hyunjin had reached his other target. Minho continued to watch the inside of the apartment, when a wild Felix, drenched in water, ran across the hall from a room to another, followed by a grinning Hyunjin with charred clothes. The look in Felix’s eyes was enough to crack Minho up.

        Seungmin sighed, having enough of their antics, and pushed the two Fae inside the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He followed Jisung and Jeongin to the kitchen, looking around for any signs of Hyunjin or Felix escaping.

        “Just so you know…we have no food.” Jisung stated, looking in the fridge before shutting it with his hip and brushing his hands as if after a hard work. Jeongin exhaled, looking at Jisung with pleading eyes before sitting down.

        “I’m hungry…” he muttered, playing around with a cup that had been left on the table from the day before. Jisung shook his head and sat down next to Jeongin, aware of the fact that he was anti-kitchen too.

        “You know, we can-“ Minho started to say, when Felix and Hyunjin appeared from behind the door, eyes as wide as their grins.

        “Did someone say cooking?! We can make you food!” At the same time, Jisung’s and Jeongin’s eyes widened in horror, their mouths opened and ready to protest, but it was too late, for Hyunjin and Felix were already fiddling with the pans and ingredients around the kitchen.

        “What should we do? Where is Chan?!” Jeongin muttered in Jisung’s ear, his voice shaking a little.

        “I don’t know where he is but I know I’m going to lecture him when he comes back for leaving Hyunjin and Felix around the kitchen!” Minho and Seungmin could do nothing but watch as Jisung and Jeongin talked in shushed voices and Hyunjin and Felix looked through the cupboards to find the perfect ingredients. Hyunjin picked up a bowl, flour, eggs, milk, water, a blender and started to mix everything in, whilst Felix read to him from a recipe for pancakes.

        It’s actually going well…Jeongin thought in surprise as he watched the two work around the kitchen, nothing set on fire and nothing close to exploding. Jisung was still wary, eyes narrowed and hands ready to reach out to pull them back from the stove.

        Of course that nothing could end well with Hyunjin and Felix in the kitchen, something that Minho, Seungmin, Jisung and Jeongin learned when Felix tried to flip one of the pancakes and it fell onto the lit stove, making it burst into flames soon enough. Felix squeaked and tried to put the flames out using his powers, but then Hyunjin threw water over the fire, making it burn even brighter since instead of water, he’d thrown some of the alcohol that they’d added to the pancakes. They both started to shout at each other, trying to find a way to put the fire out, when Minho got up with a short laugh and flicked his wrist, sending the flames up into a white smoke before they disappeared, gathering Hyunjin’s and Felix’s fleeting attention.

        “You’re a shaman?!” Jeongin shouted from his spot at the head of the table, wide eyes piercing Minho. The other nodded, smiling sheepishly, his azure eyes betraying his true nature. Jeongin huffed in surprise, cheeks puffed out, making everyone laugh and baby him even more than usually.

        “Felix, Hyunjin, how about I take care of breakfast?” Seungmin suggested, making the two frown and nod, faces drawn into upset pouts, although Hyunjin immediately cheered up when Seungmin patted his head.

        “Why can’t I cook?” Felix muttered as soon as he was seated next to Jisung, still pouting. The other in question sighed, dragging Felix closer to him and patting his cheek, claiming that he’ll learn with time.

        “Oh, Jisung. You remember how Blutige came by yesterday and you thanked her for helping with Felix that night, right?” Jisung nodded hesitantly, not really following Minho. “That was me back then. I had glamoured myself to look like Blutige so I could help Felix and you wouldn’t find me out.” Ten seconds…thirty…a minute…and then Jisung’s face exploded in multiple shades of red.

        “Wait?!?!! You mean to say that I thanked Blutige for something that she wasn’t even aware of?!! Oh my gods….” Jeongin cackled like a hyena next to Jisung, repeatedly hitting his shoulder while Jisung hid his face in his palms. Felix simply grinned at his best friend, winking at Minho, who could barely keep from laughing himself.

        As soon as Chef Seungmin was done cooking, they indulged themselves in the sweet pancakes that the other had salvaged, thanking him through mouthfuls.


	23. The Blessing Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second part~~

         “Chan!” Woojin shouted as he watched the other fall from the rooftop. Everything felt as if it was in slow motion as Chan tried to use his wind magic to create a pillow over which he could float, but he was still shocked and surprised after what had happened and his head was not in the spell. Woojin had no other choice. Taking off his top, he dove after Chan.

        The surroundings were silent, no living creature bothering to disrupt the quietude. A single, strong flap of wings disrupted the utopia as Woojin rose high up in the sky with Chan held tightly against his chest, his eyes shifted to a vivid blue, white wings dipped into the color of the skies, holding them as they soared through the clouds. Chan had scrunched his eyes shut, expecting to feel the hard pavement underneath him any second, when his body became air-borne and he was suddenly flying.

        He dared to open his eyes, and what he saw made his heart soar with surprise and excitement. Woojin was flying. He was holding Chan against him and was _flying_. Instinctively, Chan passed his arms around Woojin’s waist so the other could focus more on flying rather than holding him, making the other’s eyes instantly find his. His wings lost some of the current, making them swerve off to the side a little.

        “Eyes on the clouds!” Chan shouted over the wind, hands grasping tighter at Woojin’s waist since he didn’t have wings of his own with which to fly in case he got dropped. He could feel Woojin’s chest vibrate with laughter against his cheek, making Chan pout since it was obvious that the other was laughing at him.

        Woojin kept on flying until he reached a secluded enough area where he could land without being seen. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he tightened his arms around Chan, his wings falling protectively around the other out of instinct. Despite Chan’s try to step away from Woojin, the other didn’t give in.

        “Why were you so surprised earlier?” Woojin inquired, making Chan freeze in his arms. After quite a long silence, Woojin looked at Chan, wondering if the other got angry with him for not releasing him, and instead found him beet red, his cheeks burning. The half nixie stifled a laugh, hands going up to cup Chan’s face. His wings remained in the same place.

        “I-I just got surprised, nothing more.” Chan stared in Woojin’s eyes, his blush slowly dying away. It’d been rather foolish of him to rush like that on a rooftop, and only now he’d realized it. “Thanks for catching me.”

        “Of course. So…you like me?”

        “I do. What about that?”

        “Why are you defensive?” Woojin inquired with a laugh. “I like you too.”

        “I’m not defen- What? You do?” Woojin nodded. “Then why didn’t you say so sooner?! I’ve been worrying all this time for nothing?”

        “I could say the same thing. Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

        “I just…didn’t want things to change between  us in a bad way.”

        “Then that makes two fools of us. Come one, we need to get back to the hotel and find that mechanic so we can get back home in case the kids burnt the kitchen like you said-“ This time, it was Chan interrupting Woojin with a kiss, although Woojin didn’t jump away, instead leaning in the other’s touch, a smile making its way on his lips until he could no longer kiss Chan because he was smiling so widely. Chan smiled as well.

        “Wait, how do you have your wings?” Chan inquired, only now truly realizing that the other had wings outside of the fairy realm. Woojin frowned a little at Chan’s question, answering nonetheless.

        “I managed to get away from the radar before they managed to strip me of my wings. They’d considered it a simple mistake, thinking that I had been stripped of my wings but they forgot to delete me from the list. Now that you told me everything about the charming ability, it occurs to me that I might’ve used it to get away back then.” Chan nodded,  thanking the deities for leaving Woojin with his wings and not making him to go through the pain of getting them stripped off.

        Using the phone number that they’d received from the receptionist the night before, they contacted the mechanic and luckily got their car repaired in under half an hour, giving them enough time to eat something as well and refuel the car to the brim.  On their way back to Seoul, it became quite obvious both to Woojin and to Chan that their scents had shifted a little, Chan’s scent shifting from his family one to a salted sea and wet sand, while Woojin’s adopted an air of fresh spring flower buds caked in droplets of water. The family scent that he’d worn until then had subsided to a less prominent scent. It would certainly make it impossible for Chan to avoid being teased by his younglings.

        Seoul was quiet in the early hours of the day, with the occasional car racing down the streets here and there. The university was just as silent, most certainly due to the fact that Krey was still gone on his personal mission away from it. Mina held her word and placed wards around the university; her hounds patrolled the halls day and night as well, adding to the student’s security.

        When Woojin and Chan stepped through the gates of the university, they felt the powerful ward that was placed around it, making them frown. Worried, Chan started to run towards their dorm apartment, only to stumble into a rather large shadow that growled. Chan didn’t bother to get up, watching the shadow as it walked around him, sniffing the air. Woojin stopped a few feet away, staring at the creature. A hound. Neutral creatures that could be created to guard something or someone, powerful entities that could easily kill someone using their own magic against them. The hound sat down in front of Chan after circling him twice more, head tilted and tongue lolled out. Chan exhaled in relief, and so did Woojin, reaching out to pet the shadowy dog.

        “What in the world happened that hounds got summoned on the university property?”

        “Maybe Jeongin knows? Since he…spends a lot of time with Krey and all that.” They hurried all the way back to the apartment, this time uninterrupted. When Chan opened the door, he was surprised to find the smell of pancakes wafting around the apartment, with no additional burnt smell to it. Taking cautious steps, he walked further into the apartment and headed towards the kitchen. At the table sat Minho along with Felix, Hyunjin, Jisung and Jeongin, all stuffing their faces with pancakes, while Seungmin prepared another batch, as if sensing that they would be coming back.

        “Chan, welcome back! Did you know that Minho is a shaman and that Seungmin can shift into a huge dragon?” Chan’s eyes widened, the things that he’d wanted to say getting stuck in his throat. One glance at Minho assured him that the other had dropped his cover, although his scent was still not present.

        “Huh?” Chan managed to utter, eyes taking in the nicely laid out table and the non-burnt food.

        “Don’t look so relieved, Hyunjin and Felix did try to cook, but Minho was here to save the day.” Jisung explained upon seeing Chan’s amazed look, a cheeky grin on his face. Hyunjin and Felix both blushed at being called out again, both refusing to look up at Chan.

        “Really guys…”

        “Wait…do you scent this?” Felix inquired all of a sudden, his head snapping up, making Chan grow nervous. He’d been worrying all the way back about how his family would react, hoping that it would all go well. Felix’s eyes went from Woojin to Chan, analyzing, before they widened, comically so. “Oh my deity…you’ve found your mate!” Felix’s face broke into a wide grin, jumping up from the table to rush over to Chan to embrace him tightly and knock the breath out of his chest. Chan’s nerves melted away as he relished in the warm and safe hug, realizing how big of a fool he was to even think that his family would be upset with him. As soon as Felix was done hugging him, he launched himself at Woojin, the other chuckling at the added weight and squeezing the younger. The others got up to hug Chan and Woojin as well, laughing with joy at their brother’s happiness.

        “Now we’ll finally have a mother too.” Hyunjin joked once everyone settled at the table, making Woojin blush a thousand shades and fix the other with a mischievous gaze. Hyunjin simply shrugged and winked at the older, leaning into Seungmin’s side so he could reach the sauce bottle better.

****

         Being alone in an entire apartment at a university, there aren’t many things to do out of boredom. Unless one Felix is added to the equation.

        After Changbin had met up with Felix and Chan at Livander’s Tea, he’d lounged in his room for the remainder of the day, feeling tired for no apparent reason. Sleep entertained him for so long, making it painfully obvious that he was getting bored. He was curious about where Seungmin and Minho were, since they’d been gone the whole night a day ago, then they came back to their rooms, and now they were somewhere again, and also curious about what _exactly_ he could do around the university. Maybe he could take a tour to make himself more acquainted with the university. Or, he could go outside of the university and check out the recently opened music store at the end of the park alley.

        His trail of thoughts was cut off by the abrupt knocks on the front door. Groaning, Changbin arched his back off of the couch in an attempt to get himself up, failing miserably at doing so as his elbow hit the coffee table with a rather loud bang.

        _“You okay in there?”_ Changbin heard from behind the door, followed by a muffled chuckle. Of course it was Felix, coming to check up on him while everyone was away and he was bored. Once he opened the door, he saw Felix leaning against the wooden frame, arms crossed over his chest and hair ruffled. “Quite the loud bang. You okay?”

        “Yeah, just…tried to get up from the couch and hit my elbow on the coffee table. It’ll probably bruise a little.”

        “Want me to kiss it all better?” Felix inquired cheekily, a teasing smile on his face, making Changbin pretend to close the door in his face, all the time wearing a sweet smile. Laughing, Felix stepped forward to stop the door with his foot. “How rude! Here I am, trying to entertain you, and you close the door in my face!” With feigned offence, Felix turned on his heels and started off in the direction of the stairs, but Changbin was faster, smiling as he reached for the other’s hand and grasped it between agile fingers, pulling the other back into the apartment and shutting the door. Felix stumbled into the other a little due to the unexpected happening, wide eyes looking over his shoulder at Changbin.

        “Any plan on what we could do? Oh, and have you seen Minho and Seungmin?”

        “Yeah, I’ve seen them all right. They’re out with Chan and Woojin. Apparently, they had to get some documents about…something, and they needed Chan’s help. And yes to your other question as well. I do know something that we can do. Here.” Felix explained and then pulled out a wrapped package from him messenger bag. Upon closer inspection, Changbin realized that it was a CD wrapped carefully in bubble wrap and paper.

        “A game?” Felix nodded eagerly, wide smile on his face. Apparently, he’d bought the game from Jihoon two days ago before the party, and had been waiting to try it ever since.

        They settled in the living room onto the floor, bag of sweets next to them and controllers in their hands. Since it was a co-op game with no option of brawling, they formed a team and played on the same side, swiping through the quests to find the most interesting ones. The game had an open world with endless possibilities, after all.

        “Do you remember what homework we received from Mina? I think I lost the paper where I wrote it down.” Felix asked four rounds later, his fingers cramped from playing for so long; the darkened outside proved just how long they’d spent playing that game, stuck on a certain quest because of a puzzle.

        “I think we had to just bond with other students and stuff like that. Oh, and to finish the homework Mr. Raynolds gave us.”

        “That thing with the verbena and mistletoe? Gosh, I can’t believe there haven’t been pranks done around the dorms to place mistletoe above doors.” Changbin could imagine how _that_ would turn out. Everyone in their class had hollered when they’d heard about mistletoe, as if it was a forgotten concept for them.

        “Should we go get something to eat at the cafeteria and then return to finish the quest?”

        “Good idea.” Twelve hours later well into the night, when Minho and Seungmin came back from the offices, they found Felix and Changbin fast asleep in front of the TV, blanket strewn over their shoulders and pillows thrown onto the floor. Felix was leaning with his back against the couch, head lolled backwards onto it and mouth opened, while Changbin sat with his head on Felix’s left thigh. Hands wrapped loosely around his knee.

        What Minho had forgotten to mention to the others was that Blutige had changed the date of the festival. She had managed to gather enough energy for the summoning sooner than expected, so she decided to go on with the ritual that night, rather than the next one. With a small nudge, Minho sent Seungmin to his room to get changed and ready for the festival, while he went over to the two sleepyheads.

        Crouching next to Felix, he tried to think his options through and see how to better wake up the younger without waking Changbin as well. Just as a precaution though, Minho placed a sleeping spell over Changbin before attempting anything. It would be quite difficult to explain where they would be going without sounding suspicious. Just as Minho completed the symbol for the spell on Changbin’s forehead, Felix jumped awake, his fiery orbs narrowing in on Minho, hands stretching out to grab Minho around the throat in a burning hold. Minho’s eyes widened, hands flying up to grab at Felix’s in an attempt to loosen them. With a gasp, Felix released Minho’s throat and jumped with his back into the couch, eyes round and mouth gaping, the fiery in them dying down. Minho coughed, rubbing at his throat.

        “What was that…?” Minho managed to ask between coughs, his eyes taking in the guilty and confused look in Felix’s. The other shook his head slowly, looking at his hands.

        “…I’m sorry about that, I…since the phoenix is more awake than ever now, it sensed when you placed the spell on Changbin and just…acted on instinct. This hasn’t happened to me from after that big war in 1952. During most of that time, Chan had to stop me from burning anyone when waking us up, just because I was always thinking that a demon would pop up from  somewhere while we slept, ready to kidnap one of us. I’m...really sorry.”

        “It’s alright, I understand you Felix. I should’ve thought better before trying to place a spell on a mate. My bad.” Minho could truly understand what Felix had been going on about. He’d had those stages after the war back in 1428, when he’d fought countless demons and fairies alike, stages in which he woke up in a cold sweat, wondering where he was, not recognizing anyone around him until he fully comprehended that he was not around demons, but people that he could trust. In a way, the warrior fairies of the Fairy Realm and the soldiers of the Human Realm were the same, both being marked by the war-time.

        “Come here.” Felix spoke softly, waving for Minho to come closer to the other. When Felix placed his icy palms against Minho’s throat, he realized that the skin felt sore and irritated. The cool palms felt nice on it, making Minho sigh in relief. “Sorry, I got you a little too good.” In his sleepy haze, Felix had burnt Minho’s skin quite badly, the skin red and darkened in some places. It was a surprise for him that the other barely reacted to the pain, as if he was used to worse. Using his magic, he healed the burns, making them disappear almost as fast as they appeared.

        “It’s quite dark outside. You returned just now?” Felix inquired after he was done healing the other, ruffling Minho’s hair with an apologetic smile. The other leaned back onto the floor and sat down, passing a look over Changbin to make sure that the other was still sleeping. Felix followed his line of sight and chuckled a little, dragging his fingers through Changbin’s messed dark locks. “We played a co-op game until we fell asleep, and he still managed to beat my records.” The warm smile on Felix’s face as he looked at the other made Minho feel a sort of joy that he’d only felt before around Blutige and Seungmin whenever they were happy. He was getting attached to them faster than he could process, and it somehow felt a little weird. After all, Minho was used to running around, never staying in one place for too long in fear of getting captured and taken back, not caring for someone too much because they could be taken away from him at any moment. It scared him but…somehow it made it all the more worth fighting for and staying rather than running.

        “We were retained for longer at the offices because Seungmin forgot some papers at your apartment the other day and he needed to go back to get them. I came to wake you up because the festival moved dates and we have to go tonight rather than tomorrow night.”

        “Really?!” Felix’s excitement was visible both in the way his eyes lit up and in the way his voice grew thinner. Minho nodded and got up, offering a hand to Felix so he could get up as well.

        “Really. Now come on, you need to get ready, and I need to take this sleepyhead back to his room.” Felix grabbed Minho’s hand and hoisted himself up from the floor after he made sure Changbin’s head was safely placed on the floor. He saluted Minho, looked one last time at Changbin, and then rushed down the hall and out the door into his apartment. Minho shook his head with a small smile and then leaned down to grab Changbin and get him up on his back to carry him over to his bedroom. It would hurt if he slept all night on the hardwood floor.

****

        By the time they’d reached the Crimson Sea District, the moon was high up in the sky and the music loud enough that they could hear it from the park. It was more than probable that every Fae creature from around the city was in the district, celebrating the festival. The streets were decorated with rose petals and confetti, flower crowns embedded onto every front door, a line of salt drawn at every entrance into the district. When they stepped over the line, both Minho and Jisung felt their skin burn a little, but it was a fleeting sensation so they didn’t worry.

       Jeongin had wanted to invite Yedam to the festival as well, but the other was nowhere to be found. When he’d asked Mina if she knew where Yedam was, she’d said that he went to visit some friend in Busan, although she looked quite worried herself.

       Just like last time, as soon as they stepped over the wards, their glamours dissolved into thin air. The fairies weren’t dressed with clothes from the fairy realm, but something that resembled them, the comfortable flexible material making for a similar feeling. Their elements were visible on their clothes, small rubies, sapphires, topaz and emeralds embedded into their loose lightly colored shirts, bracelets adorning their wrists and ankles. Minho and Seungmin had a quite different attire, both of them wearing the same material, although Minho’s robes were of a dark blue color that glistened in the moonlight, his staff decorated with forget-me-not flowers and lilies, his usual metal hair decoration exchanged for a crown of cornflowers. As a Skyger, Seungmin wore a pair of black leather pants and a dark green t-shirt tucked in.

        Blutige was nowhere to be seen, so they simply walked around the central market, taking everything in until she would appear. There was a circle right in the middle of the market that the crowed formed around a group of fire fairies that were performing under the night sky, using their fires to created huge creatures that flew through the air and entertained the public, combining their magic with other elements to bring little raining clouds with warm droplets over the heads of the Fae, their song tunes turning into golden waves that flew up into the sky.

        A little off to the side, a group of nixies were singing around the fountain, couples dancing around them, laughter flowing through the air. The night lights that hung from balcony to balcony illuminated the paved streets, casting shades of red and blue and green over the jeweled clothing that they wore, making them glimmer into the darkness.

        A group of small dragons were playing at the base of the fountain, one of them covered completely in golden skin, two completely white with blue stripes, most likely water dragons, and three black ones with green dots at the ends of their tails. They jumped around each other, small wings flapping into the air, teeth snapping jokingly. When Seungmin and the others passed by them, the dragons stopped playing and ran towards Seungmin, jumping on him all at once. One second Seungmin was talking with Felix, and the other his sight was covered by a white wing, claws digging into his collarbone in an attempt to climb up on his head.  He spluttered out some words while the others laughed at him. The dragons continued to play around with him, and to Seungmin’s surprise, they were old enough to talk, meaning that they were more than fifty years old.

        _Big brother, come play with us!_

_Yes! Yes! Come play with us! We want to playyyyy!_

        Seungmin looked up with wide, pleading eyes at Minho, but the other was already running away from him and the dragons, pulling Jisung and the others away as well, laughing. Seungmin groaned and shifted into a smaller dragon, flying off into the fountain where two soul orbs giggled and flew around him. Only then he remembered that two mermaid souls lived in the fountain, making him worry that he’d disturbed them, but then they soothed him with their voices and invited the other dragons in as well, allowing them to play with the water. Hyunjin had wanted to remain to watch the dragons play around, but Jeongin’s tight grip on his arm and his curiosity got the better of him and he ended up wherever the other went, curiously searching for the whole decorated market.

        While Hyunjin and Jeongin walked away to check the Selkie bar, Minho, Jisung, Felix, Chan and Woojin walked deeper into the district, their destination being Blutige’s house, when they were stopped by a crowd that was organizing random dances on random songs. Minho jumped when he felt a hand grab him around the wrist, and when he looked to see who it was, he almost gasped at the wide smile and the vivid rainbow eyes that were glaring into his own.

        _“Come on, let’s dance!”_ Blutige whisper shouted over the music, signaling the others as well. Despite Minho wanting to protest, Blutige pulled him through the crown and into the center, eyes mischievous. She was wearing a red cape over a simple red dress that touched the ground, a golden vine twirled around her waist and falling down like a curtain around her dress like a skirt. She had a similar crown to his although hers was made out of red roses and golden amber stones. The song that followed next was an upbeat one, giving quite enough freedom for them to dance. Leaving his worries behind, Minho grabbed Blutige’s hands in his and started to dance. She wasn’t as good a dancer as he was, which in the end led to them dancing in a silly way, laughing and actually setting an example for the others around them on how to dance. Soon enough, the crowd started to dance like that as well, laughter filling the air. They heard a choked laugh followed by a shriek before they saw Felix spin Jisung in circles, both of them a little unsteady on their feet and laughing, Woojin and Chan following the beat with their hips, hands clapping in the air loudly.

        Most of those around the dancing crowd approached, curious about what was happening, in the end dancing as well. When the song died out around them, they were all breathing hard from how much jumping and shuffling they did. A little away from the crowd, Seungmin, Hyunjin and Jeongin watched with amused faces, glad that they hadn’t been pulled into that, despite it being fun.

        When the darkness settled over the district, signaling that the ritual time was slowly approaching, Seungmin instinctively reached out a hand towards Hyunjin, worried that the other would be teleported away like last time when the darkness settled in the district. To his surprise, his hand was met halfway. He smiled into the darkness, holding tightly.

        As soon as the darkness lifted from around them, they gathered around the market where Blutige sat in the middle, her red cape dropped onto the ground. When everyone was settled down on the pavement, Blutige started to dance, her hands and legs bending around the air, hips swaying and eyes closed as she focused on the energy around her. Light started to appear around her fingers as she swiped them through the air, currents of air circling around her. When the light got strong enough, Blutige raised her arms high into the sky and gathered the light between the tips of her fingers. She sat down cross-legged and brought the light in front of her, eyes still closed. Not a single soul spoke as she started to sing, her voice so high and full of emotion it was close to a wail. Jeongin watched with wide eyes, taking everything in since that was the first Blessing Song that he got to witness in his entire life.

        The ball of light started to take shape and as it got taller, Blutige got up, holding the ball with her hands as it took shape of a tall, feminine and transparent blue body. Upon closer inspection, Jeongin realized that Blutige was holding hands with the woman, her energy seeping into her.

        “Mother Earth…”Jisung muttered in awe from beside Jeongin, making the other look at him. The blue light reflected off of the other’s orange orbs, his mouth opened in awe. Jisung had never managed to summon more than a small part of Mother Earth, meaning that he never got to see her full form. He just knew that it was her.

        Blutige’s hold on the deity loosened as she slowly started to lose consciousness, the deity holding her upright with her magic as she spread her hands towards the sky and sent light everywhere, a rainbow of colors filling the sky. Jisung felt a sharp stab against his heart as a red orb of light passed through him, sending a strong wave of energy through his body. He could feel his fire burn brighter underneath his skin, could feel his core fill up with magic. Everyone around him felt the same as Mother Earth blessed them with her magic.

        When the light died down, Mother Earth spiraled into the ground and disappeared, releasing its hold on Blutige. In doing so, Blutige started to descend rapidly towards the ground, her legs giving out. Minho was on his feet in an instant, grabbing her around the waist to stop her fall. He passed another hand under her knees and raised her up in his arms to take her back to her home. She would surely be knocked out for the remainder of the night.

        The crowd easily got up from the pavement, bowing in gratitude towards Blutige before they went on to continue celebrating the festival. When Minho walked away with Blutige, Jisung felt a weird sensation bloom in his chest, freaking him out a little. His eyes narrowed, his fingers clenching into tight fists.

        “Hey, there’s no reason to be jealous. Minho has eyes only for you.” A hand landed on Jisung’s shoulder, dragging his attention over to Felix as the other leaned close to him to whisper in his ears. _Huh…so that feeling was jealousy…_ If he could, he wished to never experience that feeling again. After all, it was a human feeling, meaning that it had no place in the soul of a fairy.

        Upon Jeongin’s suggestion, they all headed out to check the Selkie bar, although Jisung somehow managed to remain a little behind them, lost in thoughts. While traveling through the wide street, he didn’t really expect someone to bump into him, much less place a hand on his shoulder and physically stop him from moving.

        A hooded man looked up at Jisung, his features hidden, only his lips visible in the darkness.

        “Use this when things get too hard for you.” The man whispered, his voice soft and melodious as he pressed a black feather with golden and reddish hues in Jisung’s hand. Jisung watched the man disappear until he finally regained his voice to shout after him, only to grasp at thin air. He remained there, frozen in place after the encounter, eyes locked onto the feather. He barely heard his name being called by Minho as the other ran towards him.

        “Jisung, hey! You alright?” He inquired, placing his hands on Jisung’s shoulders.

        “Hmm?” Jisung murmured, looking up at Minho a little dazed. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine…” He looked back at the feather, making Minho look as well. His eyes widened when he saw the feather.

        “Guys, you coming?” Hyunjin shouted from ahead, and when Jisung looked up, he realized that the others had stopped on their way towards the bar, waiting for him. _Did they see the man too?_

        “Yeah, we’re coming in a bit!You guys go ahead!” Minho responded, nodding in their direction. His arm fell down to Jisung’s elbow, and when they turned around, he pulled the other into a narrow alley. “Who gave you that?” He inquired once they were covered completely in darkness, his voice merely a whisper on the wind.

        “A man bumped into me and then stopped me, saying to ‘ _use this when things get too hard for you’._ Do you know who it might be?” Jisung frowned at the worried look that passed through Minho’s eyes.

        “Those feathers are a symbol that represents the elder fairies of the Flügelyr tribe. If a fairy gave you that, it means he wants to help you whenever you need help. Gaining favors from them is quite difficult, so you must be very lucky. Come on, we should head out to the others. They must be worried by now.” Jisung nodded softly, his mind still reeling at the new information. He failed to notice the weary look in Minho’s eyes when he looked at the black feather.

****

        _Thump…thump…thump thump thump thump….thump!_

“Gahh!!” Changbin jumped up in his bed, body leaning so much to his right that he almost fell off. He could still hear the sounds of bodies dropping to the floor in pools of blood, the footsteps of something heavy and the screams from his nightmare; it all felt so real that Changbin felt the need to look around his room for several times before he decided that he was, indeed, safe.

        He could feel something in the room with him, although the thing that was with him felt safe. It didn’t feel negative or anything. It wasn’t a danger. In fact, it made Changbin feel somewhat safe.

        Getting up from his bed, he felt a dizzy spell hit him, making him stumble and fall against his nightstand. He stopped his collision using one hand, the other grasping at his head. He tried taking small steps towards the door, but upon reaching the body mirror, he noticed something…strange about himself. Something that he was sure he’d seen before.

        When he leaned closer into the mirror, and leaned his body against it, he saw his eyes. Where the sclera should’ve been white, it was black, and where his dark brown iris should’ve sat, a blue star contrasted against the black. Changbin blinked, thinking that he was still caught in the nightmare, that he was still dreaming, but the eyes remained the same. He pinched himself, and when he felt pain flare up his arm, he realized that he wasn’t dreaming: his eyes were blue and black.

        “What is this?” Changbin asked of himself in a breath, his heart beating faster and faster. He grabbed the mirror tighter and scrunched his eyes shut, praying that they would go back to normal. When he opened his eyes again and saw that they were back to normal, he almost cried out of confusion, sliding down to the ground, eyes not moving from the mirror. Whatever that was, he couldn’t let anyone else see his eyes like that. Something within him told him that he should hide it away.

        An hour later after he was sure he wasn’t going to enter cardiac arrest, he wandered outside towards the kitchen, taking notice of the fact that there was no one home, it was morning, and he’d somehow gotten back to his bedroom last night. Again, he was left alone by his friends, alone to ponder on what he should do before they got back.

        Grabbing a map of the university from the office room and his phone, he headed out with the intention of inspecting the university grounds in more depth, taking up on his thought from yesterday of getting more acquainted with the university.

        He started firstly with the left wing, looking around the empty classrooms, before he headed for the right wing, starting with the library. He somehow got to a more secluded corridor that led apparently to…nowhere, making him frown and look again at the map. _This corridor isn’t drawn on the map…_ He walked ahead and kept on looking around for any indication regarding where the corridor was leading, although he didn’t find any. When he reached a dead-end, he almost turned back when a weird bump in the stone wall caught his eyes. Pocketing the map, Changbin prodded at the bump with his fingers, taking in the symbols that were etched into it. _Shield. Dark. Light. Magnet…?_ He still couldn’t get why those symbols made any sense to him. Just as he was about to push against the wall, a voice interrupted him.

        “Umm…sorry to disturb you but…I’m looking for the reception room. Do you know where I could find it?” A boy with ruffled black hair and shy eyes sat in the corridor, his eyes avoiding Changbin’s, body language closed off. Changbin stepped away from the wall and walked towards the boy.

        “Of course. I can lead you there if you want.” Changbin offered the other a smile, making the boy stare with a surprised look at him. He most certainly did not expect a human to act so nice to him.

        “Thank you.” The boy followed Changbin out of the corridor, neither paying attention to it as the hall closed behind them and disappeared. “I’m Bang Yedam, by the way.”

        “Oh! You’re Jeongin’s friend! I’ve heard lots about you from him. I’m Seo Changbin.” Yedam’s eyes widened even more, since he most certainly did not expect to meet another friend of Jeongin’s. He’d had one hell of a night back in Busan, making it quite a pleasant surprise to find someone nice when he got back.

        After Changbin led Yedam to the reception room, he’d remained there with the other until he was done, talking with him about whatever came at hand.

****

        “Mr. Kim, are you sure that you’ll manage to find enough dark blood until the end of the year to help us?” A man dressed in a black suit inquired, his eyes narrowed and fingers clasped around a slick briefcase. They were sitting in a secluded, decorated room at the back of the Great Casino, papers strewn between them across the table. The man, Kim, nodded with a smile.

        “I suggest you don’t question me for longer, Duwan. Otherwise, I won’t be able to assure you’ll get out of here alive.” Duwan nodded sharply, his blackened eyes falling to the ground.

        “I’m sorry for doubting you Mr. Kim. It was my mistake. I shall take my leave.” Kim nodded, watching the businessman walk away with the briefcase filled with vials of black blood.

        “Taehyung…are you sure this is going to help the Rebellion?”

        “I’ve seen it Namjoon…I’ve seen it all…”


	24. Camping

 

“ _Changbin_ …” A whisper passed by Changbin’s ear but he simply cuddled deeper in his blankets, ignoring it. He felt warm, too warm to even consider leaving his bed. The left side of his bed dipped a little, making him frown and question whether he was dreaming or not.

“ _Changbin…wake up…”_ The voice passed by his ears again, followed by a hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. He was clearly not dreaming. Opening his eyes, he looked around him, seeing a blurry black figure above him. After blinking a few times, he realized that it was Minho, dressed in a hoodie and track pants. The other smiled as soon as he realized that Changbin was awake. “Rise and shine.”

“Why, what happened?” Changbin frowned at Minho, his bleary eyes trying to focus on the clock atop his nightstand. He started seeing everything clearly after the red numbers indicating _4:00 AM_ burned themselves on his retina. “It’s 4 in the morning?!”

“Don’t blame me. You’re the one that wanted to start training so that you could learn how to fight.”

“Yeah, but not at 4 in the morning!”

“Getting up early to train is best for the body. Plus, I have to go to L7L to help Siege with a new batch of supplies at 9 and we wouldn’t have gotten enough training in if we woke up at 7. You’re welcome.” Changbin groaned, not able to argue with the other’s judgment. Minho grinned at the other’s distress, patting him on the shoulder before getting up from the bed. It wasn’t that Minho enjoyed the other’s suffering, but they really needed to get up early so that they could train. Nature was at its best in the first hours of the early morning, not later than that. A Fae would most certainly benefit from a training schedule like this, and Minho would take advantage of it for Changbin until the other grew out of the seal and learned of what he was.

Minho waited for his friend outside in the hall, busying himself with his phone until the other was ready. It pleased Minho to see that the other was dressed in a similar manner to him, wearing track pants and a long shirt.

“So, where are we going to train?”

“In the university gym room.” Changbin hurried after the other as Minho started to jog towards the stairs.

“We have a gym room?!”

“Yeah, we actually do! And it’s pretty big and clean. In fact, the gym is right under the greenhouse. It was used before during winter matches, but the Headmaster closed it off, thinking that it wasn’t of use anymore. Despite all that, he still keeps it clean for some reason.”

“And you have the means to get inside?”

“I have this key.” Minho took out a keychain from his pocket and twirled it on his fore finger, a smug grin on his face. “Stole it from Mina a day or two ago and made a copy of it.” Changbin stared at him with a look of shock and surprise, causing the older to laugh. “I’m just kidding, she gave it to me. Oh my…you should’ve seen your face.”

“Ha ha, really funny.” Changbin muttered, trying to stop a smile from hooking itself onto his lips. The sky withheld several shades of blue and violet, the darker colors turning lighter with each minute that passed. The sun was far from waking up, the moon reigning proudly over the clouds and the still visible stars. They circled the greenhouse and reached behind it, the keys jiggling in Minho’s hand. The fact that he’d never seen the stairs leading underground behind the greenhouse hit Changbin like a brick in the face. He couldn’t believe that he’d…that anyone would miss something so obvious.

Minho trudged down the stone stairs, keeping his back straight so he wouldn’t stumble over the debris and overgrown roots. It was a miracle that they didn’t stumble over anything, seeing as how dark it was outside still. The wooden door opened with a screech, the hinges groaning as Minho pulled it free and pushed it to the side so they could enter. He waited until Changbin was inside before he placed the ward back around the gym room, hoping that it was just as strong as before and that it would ward anyone off.

“Wow…this is really huge!” Changbin exclaimed, looking around the room. There were climbing bars nailed to the walls, strong mats lining the floor and thick mattresses leaned against the wall opposite from the door.

Fumbling around the wall, Minho exclaimed in success when he found the three light switches, dragging his fingers over all of them and opening the lights. The LED’s flickered back to life with a few squeaky and weird sounds, making Changbin worry that they would break.

He was lost in his amazement with the room, that distraction keeping him from hearing Minho chuckle and approach him with speed, ready to strike. To Minho’s surprise, Changbin dodged at the last second, eyes wide and breath caught in his throat. He moved so fast that he surprised even himself. _I guess being a hybrid gives him instinctual fast reflexes._ Minho nodded and stepped backwards a bit before he spread his legs over the mats and raised his fists, elbows close to his body, eyes following Changbin. The other got the signal and tried to copy Minho’s pose, paying attention to every single movement that the other made. It was as if something awoke in his mind, something that made him dodge and slide to the side as if he’d been doing that all his life. He deflected almost every blow that Minho sent his way, sometimes even going on offense and attacking the other.

“I should’ve expected as much.” Minho muttered, although Changbin barely heard what the other said. Gathering enough strength, Minho launched another attack at him; Changbin could instantly tell that this attack was different, crossing his hands over his face to stop the blow, legs poised to stop him from sliding across the floor. He parried the next hits, although some got him in the thighs and ribs, making him grunt in pain. It made him go all out even more, using his skill to counterattack Minho. _His eyes…he’s trying to read my every move and it’s just our first time training together._ Minho felt ecstatic and fascinated. He never met up close a sealed Fae, much less a hybrid. Seeing Changbin fight like that…it brought back his thirst for fighting.

****

The black feather stayed still upon the maroon cupboard in Jisung’s room, while Jisung sat in front of it on his desk chair, staring holes through it. At first, he admired it, his eyes taking in the golden and brown feathers tangled with the black ones, before he started to fiddle with it, trying to analyze its magic source and how to use it. His room was dark, since he needed no light to see. There was no obvious call to it or anything else that would say _this is how to summon that guy_ , so Jisung found no means of summoning the Flügelyr fairy, no matter how much he fiddled with the feather.

        After the festival, he’d hung out with the others at the Selkie bar until the break of dawn. They were supposed to meet up with Blutige there, but she was too tired after the ritual to come, sending instead an old lady over to announce that and maybe spend some time with them. Hyunjin and Seungmin had been overjoyed to see her, recognizing her from Marolynn’s Books shop.

        Jisung sighed and placed the feather on the table, leaning into the back of the chair, hands clasped behind his head. The dorm was quiet, the soft rain outside pounding gently against the window, the leafless trees swaying in the temperate wind. Jisung felt cold, almost as if he was surrounded by ice, the tips of his fingers chilled. He really didn’t enjoy autumn. The entire atmosphere brought back memories from his early childhood, a particular one standing out more than the others.

        _Jisung had been playing around the house in bliss, ignoring the raging storm outside, running around the tall staircases and behind furniture, as if he was hiding from someone or spying on something. He was quite childish at the age of fourteen, and no matter what anyone said, he enjoyed it to the fullest._

_Voices rebounding from the dining room reached his ears, making his ears perk up in interest. It sounded just like his parents, their voices shushed a little as if they had no desire to be overheard. Jisung grinned widely, knowing that his senses were better than theirs, and sneaked behind the dining room wall, all the time keeping his scent and energy hidden. He’d learned that from his favorite aunt, a mischief filled person just like he was._

_“I’m just so worried it will endanger him even more than he already is. The dark blood quantity in my veins is much smaller than the one flowing through Jisungie.”_

_“I know that dear, but maybe it’ll protect him instead of endanger him. After all, your mother had the same amount of dark blood and Mother Earth took a liking to her despite that.” Jisung was tempted to turn and look when he heard his mother’s sniffles. His grandmother had passed away a few days after his birth, but the wound was still fresh in his mother’s heart. He’d wished he’d gotten to know her at least. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought Elulka up.”_

_“No, it’s alright. I should stop reacting like that all the time. After all, it was her own choice and decision.” His mother’s voice sounded bitter, confusing him._

_“Do you…do you think it’ll actually happen? Do you think Mother Earth would come look for him?”_

_“I hope not. It’s enough that my mother got involved with a deity from the human realm…I don’t want our son to be involved as well.”_

_“But…she already promised her first grandchild to her. I don’t believe we could oppose to a deity no matter how much we wanted to.” Jisung’s eyes widened when his brain registered what his father had said. Promised? To a deity? How could that even be? More than feeling betrayed or upset, he felt curious and intrigued as to who this deity was._

_“Up to this day, I cannot understand why she did that. Why did she have to summon a deity and make a trade with her? Just to end up a warrior hero? Didn’t she worry about what would happen to us? To him?” Jisung’s mother fell with a heavy thud into one of the chairs around the table, his father’s eyes widening at his mate’s outburst. Jisung felt his curiosity and worry almost pull him away from his hiding spot, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. He jumped out of his skin, wide eyes instantly falling onto the tall figure looming down to his height. The young woman’s normally dark brown eyes were lit up, the light blue around her small pupils vibrating with magic, her long black locks tucked into a loose braid._

_“Aunt?!” Jisung whispered, or tried to, because his aunt already had a hand plastered over his mouth as if she’d read his mind. She grinned, her eyes mischievous._

_“Little Jisungie…what are you doing, eavesdropping on your parents? It would be dangerous if you were found out now, wouldn’t it be?” Jisung nodded, his words stuck in his throat. He didn’t know whether his aunt would bust him out or not. “Then follow me. Quick!” She grabbed his small hand and tugged him down the hall. They didn’t stop until they reached his room, leaning heavily against his door. Lilly, his aunt, started to chuckle loudly, her smile wide and eyes bright. She was the youngest out of the three siblings, his mother being the eldest and Moyra the middle one. Lilly and Moyra were still single as opposite to his mother, Savvya, despite them being more than five hundred years old._

_“I can’t believe that you actually used what I taught you. Such a good student you are!” Lilly grinned toothily and ruffled Jisung’s mop of dark golden locks. Jisung always felt better around her, as if something was soothed him. Maybe it was because she had almost as much dark blood as he did, and understood him even better than his own mother. All three sisters had dark blood in their systems, but only a few like him, Elulka and Lilly had more in their six thousand years old bloodline._

_“I used them because I saw it fit. I was good, wasn’t I?” Jisung bragged about, hands on his hips and chest puffed out, making his aunt chuckle. Lilly nodded, agreeing with him, before she slid down the door and sat on the floor with crossed legs. Her eyes glistened for a few second more, before they closed, a frown on her forehead. Jisung slid down next to her and watched as Lilly covered her eyes with her arm._

_“You heard them, didn’t you? About grandma and Mother Earth.”_

_“Yeah…I did.”_

_“…They’ve been going at it for days. Your father thinks that there’s nothing wrong about what Elulka did, because he is a warrior fairy and has the judgment of a fighter, like I do. But your mother…a nursing fairy like her is going mad just thinking that mother dared to summon a deity just to save us and end the war.” Lilly sounded tired, her muscles coiled beneath the skin of her neck as she spoke. It felt as if she’d been in several discussions with them. “And to think that she’d promised her first grandchild…” at that, Lilly removed her arm and looked up at Jisung, her eyes a little teary. Jisung’s eyes widened a bit, his breath caught in his throat. “Jisungie, you shouldn’t worry. I spoke to Mother Earth before coming home a week ago and she told me that she doesn’t intend to do anything bad to you. Whenever you need her help, you’re supposed to say this,” With a brush of her hand against his, Jisung saw before his eyes three lines of letters, them disappearing almost as soon as they appeared. “and she will come to help you, just like your grandmother would’ve. I bet that she would’ve loved to play with you.” It wasn’t in Jisung’s character to start crying out of nowhere, but Lilly’s saddened eyes, her words, they tugged at the strings around his heart, pulling out fresh tears that fell down his cheeks like a soft rain during summer. Lilly cooed and brought him into her arms, her aura enveloping the both of them. As Jisung continued to sob, she propped her chin onto her fluffy head, a single tear slipping down the corner of her left eye._

_“It’s a tough world that we live in, Jisungie…but the rewards are just as big as our efforts. Never stray, for your heart knows what’s good. Always follow your heart.”_

        Jisung was snapped out of his daydream as the door to his room opened after a loud set of knocks and from behind peeked a head, Hyunjin grinning from ear to ear. Jisung had to stop himself from crying again at the memory, his heart doing a painful jump. Trying not to worry the other, Jisung scowled and turned around in his chair, head facing opposite of Hyunjin.

        “Hey loner.” He remarked, skipping inside the room towards Jisung. His black locks bounced with his steps, the tips slightly wet. Jisung always wondered why his hair was wet so often, although he blamed it on the other’s element. It was the same with every fairy; even Jisung felt after effects of his element, the tips of his hair burned at times or his skin too hot. With a huff, Hyunjin dropped himself over Jisung’s shoulders, his arms going around the other as his snuggly side surfaced. Jisung groaned at the added weight, trying to swat Hyunjin off, but the other wouldn’t budge. He placed his chin atop Jisung’s shoulder, eyes flying over to the feather. “That thing still bothering you?” Jisung narrowed his eyes as thoughts of the man entered his mind again, before he shook his head and turned to look at Hyunjin.

        “A little bit. I just can’t figure out how I’m supposed to ‘summon’ him.” Jisung air quoted and shrugged his shoulders, his expression holding annoyance. Hyunjin cooed when he saw the other’s pout, hands reaching to grasp at the others cheeks and pull them in opposite directions, Jisung grunting in pain.

        “Oh, you have such nice puffy cheeks Jisungie~ Never change them or I’ll beat you up.”

        “Ya, don’t bother me. It’s not as if I would starve or anything.” Hyunjin chuckled, allowing Jisung to breathe after pestering him a little more.

        “You shouldn’t worry about that man, Jisungie. We’ll protect you if anything happens.” Jisung kept his eyes on the feather for a second more before he twisted sharply around to look at Hyunjin, the other jumping back as the chair rotated.

        “I know that.” Jisung’s smile was warm as he looked up at the other. Hyunjin chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes on the ground. It was rare to see Hyunjin flustered, so Jisung cherished every moment. Hyunjin seemed lost in thought for a few moments before he walked around the chair and sat down with his back against the desk, eyes fixed at the ceiling, a yawn escaping from him. Jisung sighed and sat down the way he was before Hyunjin interrupted him, his hands behind his neck and eyes pointed upwards. At times like this, he felt comforted by the other’s quiet nature and peaceful aura. It resembled Lilly’s in some way, but they were almost opposites.

        “You’re thinking about her again, I can tell by your eyes…”

        “Yeah…I guess I can’t really hide things from you now, can I?” Hyunjin nodded, hand reaching up to flick Jisung over the forehead. “Ow! What was that for?!”

        “For you being stupid.”

        “Was not!” Jisung tried to remain angry, but hearing Hyunjin laugh dissolved his thoughts quite quickly. “Oh, I almost forgot to ask. You seemed to know that shaman, Blutige. Who is she?”

        “She’s a friend of Minho’s from a few centuries ago I think, before he met us. Seungmin told me a lot more after we learned that he is a shaman, although there are still a lot of things that they are hiding, and they probably have a good reason. I know Minho is quite reluctant to be around you out of fear of endangering you, and I didn’t learn this from Seungmin. I know this because Seungmin sometimes acts the same way; I’d be asking him if he wants to do something or go somewhere, and he would just freeze, this sort of wary and scared look appearing in his eyes.  I never bring it up with him, because I don’t want to upset him or place him in an uncomfortable situation. They’ve been through a lot before we met them, Jisungie, so you shouldn’t take everything to heart, alright? Think about that the next time Minho says something about it.” Hyunjin spoke softly, as if to not disturb Jisung’s mind, his eyes half-lidded. There was a reason why Hyunjin had been the first to reach out his hand to Jisung all those years ago; somehow, he’d seen past the dark blood problem and the fact that everyone around him called him a danger and avoided being a friend of his, and just talked to him, spent time with him and called him a friend. Hyunjin’s words had a knack to hit him straight in the heart.

        In the quietude of the dorms, Jisung most certainly did not expect to hear a sudden laugh filter through the walls and reach his ears.  His eyes widened, and it took all of him strength to not shift at the wonderful sound. Minho was laughing, and it was the first time Jisung was hearing him so clearly. It all came as a surprise, since he knew Minho to be at L7L to help Siege with something. He looked at Hyunjin, question marks all over his face. The other laughed awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders.

        “I did come here to talk to you and see how you were doing…but also to call you out. We’re eating together?”

      “And I find out just now? How long have they been over? Who’s they, in fact??” Jisung felt excited at the prospect of them being all together.

        “Changbin, Seungmin and Minho. Yedam was supposed to come as well so he could meet us, but Mina had something to do with him or something along those lines. They arrived ten minutes ago.” Jisung grinned and grabbed Hyunjin by the arm, pulling him out of the room. The feather rested forgotten on the desk in the darkness of the room.

        The closer he got to the kitchen, the clearer the commotion inside became. Minho was leaning with a hand against Chan, his face red from how long he’d been laughing, a flustered Felix and a red-faced Changbin opposite of them. Seungmin and Jeongin kept whispering to one another, and among the words Jisung swore he heard the word ‘bet’ thrown somewhere in there.

        “Ya! Stop teasing me! I’m not a little kid anymore.”

        “Nope, can’t do.” Chan’s voice was teasing, making Felix glare and puff his cheeks out. Woojin’s eyes were chastising when they met Chan’s, making the other shrug his shoulders and grin sheepishly. When Felix noticed Jisung in the door frame, he jumped up in his chair, eyes wide.

        “Jisungie! Help a bro out. These guys won’t leave me alone!” Minho turned up to look at the door when he heard Felix, winking conspiratorially at Jisung before looking back at Felix. Jisung noticed the way Changbin could barely keep himself from laughing, making him frown. Was he involved in whatever was going on as well?

        “What happe-“

        “Woojinnie! The bet! The bet!” Jeongin shouted all of a sudden, hand outstretching towards the other.     

        “The bet? What bet?” Woojin inquired, eyes slipping from Jeongin to Seungmin.

        “Tell us what you bet on! How long will it take?”

        “Eight weeks?”

        “See! I was right!” Woojin didn’t even know what he agreed upon, but seeing the frustrated look in Seungmin’s eyes and the victorious look in Jeongin’s made him chuckle. After all, the youngest fairy was really dear to all of them and seeing him interact so much and laugh outside of the forest made them happy.

        “I bet on two months too!” Hyunjin shouted from beside Jisung, making the other jump, seeing as he’d forgotten that the other was still next to him. Felix groaned when he heard that and buried his face in his hands. Jisung frowned.

        “What bet are you all going on about?” He walked further into the kitchen and dragged a chair from beside Minho, waiting for an answer.

        “It’s a bet about how long it’ll take for-“

        “For us to learn for the mid-terms! Yeah, for that.” Seungmin interfered, stopping Jeongin from busting out about the bet. They had all reasons to keep the bet a secret from Felix and Changbin. Jisung stared weirdly at Seungmin before he sighed and gave up on the questioning, his eyes falling down onto the treats-filled plate in front of him. His mouth salivated.

        “Woojin cooked this afternoon along with Chan. It’s heavenly.” Minho whispered from beside him, noticing the way he was looking at the food. The discussion about the bet continued for precisely one more minute before Chan interfered and shouted at them to eat before the food went cold.

        To his surprise, no pixie accompanied them into the kitchen and the feeling of magic was dimmed. At first, Jisung didn’t really get why, but then he remembered that Changbin was human and he wasn’t supposed to see or even sense them by chance.

        “Guys, I have an idea. Seeing as we’re free for the remainder of the week, we should go camping in the nearby camp.” Felix said after some time passed and the food on their plates evaporated. Next to him, Changbin straightened up with curiosity and excitement, already thinking about how much fun they could have camping. A discussion soon started, all of them talking about the pros and cons about going and what they should do to get ready. Felix felt really proud for coming up with such a good idea. From beside him, Woojin chuckled and patted him on the head.

        In the end, they decided to split up and take care of the preparations, Felix, Chan and Jeongin going ahead to the forest to check for the best place, while Woojin and the others went to buy supplies, a few tents and other things that they might night.

        Grabbing a jacket to throw on over his cotton blue shirt, Felix headed straight for the door so he could wait for Chan and Jeongin there, although a hand stopped him just before he could reach it.

        “Here, take this too.” Chan placed a fabric in his hands, and only when he looked down he realized that it was a black thick beanie. “It’s quite cold after the rain.”

        “Rain! Oh gods…how are we going to camp if it rained?!”

        “Jeongin said that he’ll help us with that.  Weren’t you there when we spoke?”

        “I was but uhh…I got distracted.” Felix smiled a little sheepishly, trying to shrug it off. Jeongin would most probably dry the earth around them and make it seem as though the trees were strong enough to stop the droplets of water from colliding with the ground. Chan kept on watching Felix until the other finished securing the beanie, leaning against the wall with a tired look in his eyes.

        “I’m ready! Going?” Jeongin rushed out from his room, his eyes bright and smile wide. Chan ruffled his hair and nodded, following Felix out the door.

        The forest was rather cold, although not unbearably so. The sun on the sky shone weakly, the sunrays chilled. The earth was a little muddy as they hiked up the bumpy ground, Felix’s boots getting caught beneath roots and leaves at times. His beanie protected his ears and neck from the harsh occasional winds, warming them up, although he couldn’t say the same thing for his hands which were chilled after trailing through the forest for so long. He brought his hand close to his mouth and blew a hot breath into them, a flame flickering in his eyes as his fire engulfed his skin and warmed him up.

        Jeongin didn’t have too much trouble traveling through the forest, each step that he took turning the earth beneath his feet into dry soil.  Felix, along with Chan, walked ahead of him, checking for any tainted energy or presence that could signal something dangerous inside the forest. As they passed certain areas that they considered good for camping, they placed charms on the trees to mark the territory as theirs and to ward off any danger that would dare approach. Soon enough, they created a circle deep in the forest, the road that led there being the only dried one. Their house was all the way down at the base of the mountain, while the place they’d chosen for their camping was a bit higher than that. The others would need to hike their way up, but it was all worth it. The view was amazing.

        While they waited for Jeongin to dry off more earth around the area, Felix felt something tug at his energy. His eyebrows rose in curiosity, the tips of his fingers sizzling with magic. He had no idea what was calling him, but he was certain that it was something important. After glancing at Chan and Jeongin to make sure that the others were preoccupied, he turned in the direction from where the pull came, and started to walk.

        Trees blocked his path, mud and roots tried to trip him, but after his eyes lit up and his fingers caught flames, the phoenix blinking awake for a second in his mind,  the ground  around him got more stable, the roots and leaves clearing up almost instantly from the path. Small red pentas and belladonna lilies sprouted in his footsteps, despite the maroon and dead nature around him. He followed the thread all the way to an archway of stone, dug deep inside the mountain. Felix’s eyes widened as he recognized runes made specifically by a phoenix fairy into what looked like a door. It had no handle and was made completely of stone, the carvings in it done by hand. The runes were spelling out something, yet Felix couldn’t decipher what. His head hurt just by looking at them, as if they’d been written in ancient language.

        He leaned forward and brushed his hand against the stone, trying to clear it up a bit so he could see the runes better, but something shocked him when he touched the stone. He saw a set of images flash before his eyes, images of deities and of the fairy realm that went by too fast for Felix to make any sense of them.

        He took his hand off of the door and stepped back quickly, his eyes wide, chest heaving up and down with heavy breaths. There was definitely something important behind that door, he could feel it.

        Felix took out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the door, making sure to capture the runes clearly. He would have to study them more at home and see whether he could crack the meaning behind them. A sudden tug had him turn and look around the forest, but he couldn’t see anyone. The tug came again, and this time, he looked at his left wrist where a golden wire wound around it. Shaking his head and chuckling, Felix grabbed at the wire and tugged back, hearing a distinct screech and a thump come from deep in the forest. He took off running in the direction from which he came, feet bouncing off of the forest’s maroon carpet. The golden wire coiled around his wrist the closer he got to the others, and when he reached them, he found Jeongin crouched on the ground, hand rubbing at his back. His green eyes found Felix’s fiery ones almost instantly, mouth opening to berate the other.

      “Why did you pull so hard on the wire?! I fell on my ass.” Jeongin pouted, hands crossing over his chest. Felix chuckled and walked over to him, ruffling his hair until it was a mess and Jeongin had to remove his hands himself, laugh bubbling out of his throat.

        “Where were you?” Chan inquired, chalk-stained fingers wiggling in the air. _I still can’t get why we need to use chalk to mark off the trees when we could simply tie some ribbons around them._

        “I found something quite interesting in the forest. Here, look.” Felix fished his phone out of his pocket and went straight to the gallery, skipping through the photos until he found the ones that he recently took. Chan and Jeongin stared at the pictures for a long time, eyes taking in every detail and trying to associate it with anything that they’d ever seen in their lives. Jeongin was the first to give up on analyzing the photo, looking up at Felix.

        “I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this, not even in the fairy realm…” Their attention turned back on Chan, who’d been staring at the photo ever since. He looked deep in thought, giving Felix a little hope that he might have an idea about why the door seemed so strange.

        “I…think I’ve seen that rune somewhere.”

        “Which one?”

        “This one on the top of the door in the first circle. I’ve seen it in the restricted area in the elder library.”

        “And I find out just now that you’ve been there?!” Chan grimaced, his eyes looking anywhere but at Felix. He was sure that the other would find out eventually, but he just didn’t want him to learn of that so soon, in fear that he would ask about what he found in there. To his great relief, Felix didn’t inquire further about it and simply stared at the other for a little more before sighing. He knew Chan like the back of his hand so if the other didn’t want to say anything more, it was for a good reason. “Anyways, do you know what it means?”

        “I think it means…ruler, or something like that.”

****       

        “We need marshmallows too! And lots of candies.” Hyunjin shouted all of a sudden, jumping over to lean into Woojin’s side and stare at the shopping list. Seungmin rolled his eyes and headed down the utilities aisle, hoping to find at least one tent. Minho was pushing the cart next to Woojin, his elbows propped against the edge and eyes peering into the list so he would know where to head next. Jisung and Changbin were caught in an argument about the meat and gasket, one wishing to get beef while the other wanted chicken.  It was clearly not obvious to them that Woojin would be buying both types. Minho watched them bicker from the side, a fond smile on his lips.

        “Guys! I found them!” They all turned to see Seungmin waving at them from the utilities aisle, two boxes in his other hand. “I found the tents!” The tents weren’t made out of thick material, but it was good enough to keep the warmth inside and the possible droplets of rain outside. They bought three tents, meat, marshmallows, candies and three blankets. With all the items on their shopping list ticked off, they headed to the cashier when the shopping cart ran off track. Woojin instantly looked over to Minho, only to see the other steering the cart wildly through aisles and people. Jisung looked at Woojin with wide eyes before they all started to run after Minho.

        “Minho!” Hyunjin shouted, gliding across the wet tiles around the freezing area of the market. He came stumbling into the cart, sending it flying off to the other end of the aisle while Minho collapsed on the ground with Hyunjin on top of him.

        “Oh my gods!” Woojin exclaimed and hurried to check if either of them got hurt, helping Hyunjin off of Minho. Minho didn’t get up from the ground, merely sighing and staring up at the ceiling.

        “Minho, you okay?” Jisung crouched down next to him, patting his cheek and looking into his eyes. Minho focused his eyes on Jisung, grinning a little when he saw the worried look on the other’s face. He was holding a pack of rice in his hand.

        “Came to rescue me?” His teasing voice and sly look made Jisung blush and punch him in the shoulder, rolling his eyes.

        “He’s fine.” Jisung exclaimed, getting up and extending a hand towards Minho for him to grab and get up from the ground. When he got up, Minho felt a nudge in his ribs. Changbin had walked over next to him and had nudged him, a small grin on his face.

        “Did anyone ever tell how sly you are?”

        “A lot of persons did.” They grinned wolfishly at each other, gathering the attention of the others.

        “Is that a pack of sweet infused rice?”

        “Yep.”

        “You mean to say that that’s why you rushed away like a mad-man?!”

        “It was the last package!”

Sighing heavily, Woojin walked over to the cart that was now resting next to a store shelf, the goods in it still intact despite all the hustle. Now he could understand what Chan had been talking about when he said that he couldn’t leave the younglings alone even for a little bit because they always ended up doing something.

****

They all met up at the foot of the mountain, with barely a few hours of sunlight left, but they hoped it would be enough for them to reach the camping place and set everything up.

Woojin got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him, a bag held between his arm and his torso. The other filed out of the car quickly, Hyunjin and Changbin jumping down from the back of the truck. They each held a plastic bag in their hands with all the things that they'd bought, waiting for Chan and the others since they'd gotten there earlier.

The forest was quiet, the almost leafless trees leaning over the pathways, their trunks hunched. Chan was the first to enter the pathway, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Woojin was sure the other hadn’t had it when he left. Felix and Jeongin followed next, running all the way to the truck.

“We found the best spot, although we have to hike all the way there.”

“Do we really have to?” Changbin groaned, only now feeling just how sore his muscles were from this morning. Felix nodded, a small apologetic smile painted on his lips.

“It’s a nice area, so it’ll be worth it. Now, let’s stuff those bags in the backpacks and hurry up there. We need to set everything up before nightfall.” Everyone nodded and followed Chan’s instructions, placing the plastic bags in his, Felix’s and Jeongin’s backpacks. When they were about to head into the forest, Jeongin felt his backpack being tugged off of his back, and when he looked up, he found Woojin grinning at him, backpack already slung across his shoulders.

“Woojinnie~” Jeongin whined, trying to reach for the backpack.

“Jeonginnie~” Woojin taunted back and swatted the other’s hands away when he tried to grab his backpack back. Minho laughed and headed towards them, passing a hand around Jeongin’s waist and rising him up on his shoulders. Jeongin screeched, gathering the other’s attention. They all chuckled when they saw Jeongin on Minho’s shoulders, holding onto the other’s hands for dear life.

The hike up the hill and through the forest took longer for Felix than it did the first time, most probably because they all stopped much too often to toss a joke here and there. Once they reached the meadow, they dropped down the backpacks and split up into two groups, one to deal with the fire and the other to deal with the tents. Felix, Hyunjin, Minho and Seungmin headed into the forest to find twigs and branches that they could use to build the fire, while Chan and the rest worked around the tents, hoping to find a way to assemble them.

“Well, I think we should be good.” Chan exclaimed, not even a second into reading the manual, and got up, a packed-up tent in his hands. He started to unfold it, ignoring Jeongin’s retorts about how he didn’t even know the way to assemble the tent.

Minutes later, Chan was inside the tent, hands flailing around in a try to find the main pole to stick it into the ground. After twisting around underneath the material for long enough, Chan stumbled and fell to the ground. Woojin got up from the ground with a sigh and walked over to Chan, hands reaching out to grab the tent and raise it off of Chan. The other’s fluffy hair peeked from underneath, soon followed by his head. Chan grinned up at Woojin, pressing a soft quick kiss on the other’s lips when he tried to chastise Chan for not going through the instructions. Woojin blushed and dropped the tent over Chan again, chuckling at the other’s cry of help.

With Jeongin’s and Changbin’s help, they set up the tents in a circle, leaving enough space for a few logs and the fire in the middle. Jisung gathered a few rocks from around the meadow and formed a circle in the middle, preparing for the wood so that they could make the fire faster. At the base of the tree trunks that surrounded the meadow, white pointed-hat mushrooms grew, along with green moss and lichens.

 Minho was the first to return to camp, arms filled to the brim with twigs and small logs. He dropped them into the fire pit and sat down onto one of the bigger logs that Jisung had placed a few moments prior to his arrival. There were three other logs around the fire pit. As the others arrived with more wood, the pit filled up enough. After Felix winked at Minho and nudged his head in Changbin’s direction, the other went to distract his attention while Felix took off his charm necklace and summoned his fire, plunging his hands between the logs. They instantly lit up, consumed by the flames. Felix removed his hands just in time for Changbin to turn around. He could just imagine the other’s reaction and worry if he’d found Felix with his hands into the fire.

Just as the sun fell from the sky and everything around them turned dark, they were done, the tents up and the fire ready for the meat and marshmallows. Woojin and Minho took care of the meat, while the others held marshmallows into the fire with the help of metal sticks, Chan helping with the plastic dishes to store the meat as soon as it was done.

“Guys, wanna listen to a horror story?” All of the fairies in the family and Woojin groaned when they heard Hyunjin’s suggestion, knowing just how gory and terrifying his stories could get at times. Minho, Seungmin and Changbin, on the other hand, got excited, their eyes wide with curiosity at the thought of hearing a horror story during camping. “Oh, come one, don’t be like that. Huma- I mean we do it all the time whenever we go out camping. It’s in our nature.”

“I wanna hear. After all, I love horror.” Changbin grinned and looked around him at the others. Most of them agreed in the end, but Felix was among those who didn’t. As soon as Hyunjin seated himself better to start the story, Felix inched closer to Changbin, his body rigid.

“There was once a girl, not older than fifteen, living with only her mother and her sister in a big house. The house had quite the tragic past, but neither of the females believed in ghosts, so they weren’t worried when they moved in. The neighbors warned them that the residents from before them took their own lives because of what lived in the house, but it was all in vain. All that the girls saw was a big house, old with age and a heaven to live into. That heaven soon turned to hell when the youngest started screaming one night. Her mother and her older sister came in to check, scared that someone had broken into their home, when they found no one. The girl kept screaming and thrashing in her bed, terrified eyes glued to the closet. The older sister asked her what was wrong, and the girl replied with _‘There’s a man hiding in the closet. He…he doesn’t look human…he doesn’t have eyes.’_ Of course, the girl didn’t believe her younger sister and kept on reassuring her that it was nothing, not noticing the glaring black holes that were staring at the three of them from above the closet. Nothing happened after that for almost a week, until the eldest daughter woke up in the middle of a night terror and saw the same creature that her sister had seen, blackness for eyes and a wide grin with sharp teeth. She screamed and tried to get away from the monster, when she woke up, breathing heavily. She looked around her room, praying that she wouldn’t find the creature there, and sighed in relief when she didn’t. The next day, she found her mother cooking breakfast for them, but her movements were strange, almost robotically, and her face expressionless. When the eldest made a comment on this, the mother smiled widely and said that nothing was wrong. Her daughter didn’t believe her, but after two more weeks, she began acting normal and the daughter forgot about what had happened. When she came over with two of her classmates, they got excited about exploring the house and started to go through every room…not expecting what they were about to see. Upon entering the last room on the second floor, the eldest screamed: her mother laid there in a chair, her body decomposing.  Her classmates screamed and stepped away from the room, hiding behind the door. The eldest shut the door with force and leaned against it, breathing heavily. _‘That’s my mother’_ she said to her classmates, making their eyes widen. _‘Then who’s the person downstairs?’_ the girl’s heart dropped, her eyes tearing up even more. Indeed, who was the person downstairs? The girl didn’t really care, pretending that she didn’t even see anything and rushing her classmates out. She passed by her mother, kissed her cheek, went to her sister’s room and started to cry. She had to get her sister out. That night, despite not wanting to fall asleep, the eldest did, and her night terrors returned. This time, the creature was leaning over her, looking like her mother and with her eyes gauged out. _‘You saw too much, dear. I need to make sure you won’t see anything else.’_ With that, the creature plunged its nails in the girl’s eyes, gauging them out. The last thing that the girl heard was her sister screaming. A month later, the girl’s classmates gathered enough courage to visit her at her home again. When they knocked on the door, they had to wait for a long time before someone finally decided to answer. Both of the girls jumped out of their skin when they saw their friend moving like a robot, her face expressionless. _‘Kailey, are you okay?’_ one of the girls asked, her voice shaky. Kailey turned her eyes on her and smiled widely. ‘ _Of course I am. Would you like to **see** something?”_ They all felt chills run down their spines, images of what Kailey, or the creature more precisely, was going to do to those two girls.

“Boo!” Changbin shouted closely to Felix’s ear, hands grabbing the other’s sides. Felix screamed and almost jumped off from the log, his instincts making him inch closer to the fire, but Changbin’s arms were wrapped securely around his waist.

“You asshole!” Felix shouted, slapping the arms around his waist, breathing ragged. Changbin couldn’t help but laugh at the other’s cuteness, tightening his hold around a pouty Felix. The others laughed as well, although almost all of them jumped when Changbin suddenly shouted, most probably still immersed in the story. It wasn’t as gory as they’d expected, but the way Hyunjin spoke and looked at them made it all the more terrifying.

They hung out a little more around the fireplace, sharing normal stories and jokes, before they all retreated to their respective tent, Woojin going with Chan and Jeongin, Felix going with Jisung and Changbin and Minho going with Hyunjin and Seungmin.

Inside their tent, Jisung collapsed on the middle of the makeshift blanket, Felix and Changbin on either side of him. Seeking a little comfort after the story, Felix cuddled close to Jisung, breathing in his familiar scent and enjoying his body heat. He regretted now that he didn’t go first to heat up the ground, but at least Jisung was warm. On Jisung’s other side, Changbin leaned his head against the other’s shoulder, hand resting over his stomach, quite close to Felix’s. There was no reason for them all to stay apart when they were out in the wilderness and the cold.

At one point after they all retreated to their tents to sleep, Changbin’s hand gravitated towards Felix’s, bumping accidentally his pinky finger with Felix’s. To his shock, Felix moved his hand and tangled their fingers together. When Changbin looked up from their hands, he saw Felix grinning a little at him, golden orbs glinting in the night. They fell into a peaceful sleep after that, their united hands reassuring them that neither would be going anywhere.


	25. Lost Page #4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix realizes that humans can be good...that they can be his friends...

**_LOST PAGES #4_ **

**_A few days before the welcoming_ **

**_party for the first years._ **

 

        _Bang. Tck. Bang. Tck. Bang._ The ball bounced off of the wall and back into Felix’s outstretched hand. He caught it swiftly, his fingers tightening around it. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, his eyes darting from side to side. Almost as soon as they were done with their classes, everyone went to _sleep._ He just couldn’t believe that they were all that tired after the botany test. Seungmin, Hyunjin and Jeongin were the only ones who didn’t pull all nighters like them to study, because their geology test had been scheduled earlier than theirs. Shiaj was lazing upon Felix’s herbology book, one red eye sneakily peeking at his fairy from behind a half opened lid, yawns escaping  his mouth by the second. He couldn’t help but be affected by the _entire house_ oozing sleepiness.

        He felt a sharp pain in his left side, making him frown. Shiaj was up and awake in an instant, body in front of Felix’s face, eyes peeking into his and searching, his small hands plastered against Felix’s cheekbones. Felix could feel the phoenix fire get restless, making him squirm in his desk chair. He threw the ball again with much more force than before and watched as it passed through the wall and into the other room, leaving a gaping hole in it. His eyes widened, comically so, especially after he heard the gasp and laughter that soon followed from the other room.

        _“Chan will kill you, Fe.”_ He gulped when he recognized Hyunjin speaking from the other room, Jeongin and Shiaj giggling at his words. Felix huffed and scrambled off of his chair to walk over to their room, Shiaj collapsing on his bed, his wings too tired to flap around the house for too long. It was just luck that the ball didn’t pass through the opposite wall and into Chan’s room.

        The two were lounging on Jeongin’s bed, Hyunjin’s laptop next to their crossed legs with a newspaper opened on the screen, Pheeya resting on the keyboard. Groovy was sleeping in Hyunjin’s breast pocket, his fingers lightly gripping at the sewed edge to hold himself upright. The small yellow tennis ball had rolled a few feet into the room, debris sticking to it from the wall. Neither of the pixies had woken up by the disturbance.

        He went over to pick it up, Hyunjin and Jeongin following him with their eyes.

        “Felix, you okay?” Hyunjin inquired, a small frown, barely visible, on his face. Jeongin looked quickly at Hyunjin before looking back at Felix. It was normal that they were worried, since their walls weren’t paper thin, but quite strong, made of cement and iron concrete, plus the layers of isolation. It required great strength to send a tennis ball through a wall like that.

        Jeongin’s room was quite spacious, a tall window right across from the door, green curtains folded to the side and caught with a lily flower elastic, the spacious bed right next to the window, bookshelves lining the walls and a desk to the left side of the window. There were books still opened on the desk, highlighters strewn across the smooth surface. A vase filled with magnolias, daffodils and dandelions rested upon it, the pale rays of sunshine outlining the specks of magic that rested on the petals. Jeongin had probably enchanted the vase to keep the flowers alive for as long as possible.

        “Yeah, I’m fine. Just bored.” Felix answered, dropping down onto the bed next to Jeongin and leaning against his side, chin propping on the other’s shoulder. “What’re you looking at?”

        “Oh, we just found some news regarding recent demon attacks. Did you know that humans from the fairy realm can sign in to a local online fairy newspaper? It’s insane!” Felix frowned at that.

        “And where did you learn of this?” He stared at the screen, taking in the clean aspect of the page and the long script that flowed well below. There were images accompanying the writings, scenes from the murders captured in them.

        “…From Krey?” Jeongin worded his answer, making it sound more like a question. Felix sighed and shook his head, glaring at the newspaper.

        “Honestly, why would you place important information like that on the internet. Tech specialists could easily hack the info out of the web page…”

        “That’s the thing! It’s run by someone really skilled and whenever an attack happens, he hacks the other person. Apparently, the information is safe…sort of.” Hyunjin explained, trying to ease Felix’s doubting gaze.

        “…I won’t be using it anytime soon.” He said in the end, burying his face in Jeongin’s fluffy hair, inhaling the scent of lemon shampoo and earth. The other giggled and lightly pushed at Felix’s shoulder, saying that it tickled. He felt better around them, and even the phoenix was put at ease. Their energies were soothing.

        The utopian spell was broken by three sharp knocks against the front door, making Felix jump, Hyunjin snapping his head towards the door. The others were asleep, and Seungmin, Hyunjin knew, was at the library, so it couldn’t be them. Felix took a deep breath and got up, stretching his back and hands. With a fast pace, he instantly reached the door, jerking it open. His eyes opened more when they recognized who it was. He could still sense that Hyunjin and Jeongin were curious as to who it was.

        “Guys, don’t worry! It’s just Jihoon.” He shouted as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake Chan up. Jihoon smiled at him a little and waved his hands, as if the imply that _there he was, visiting._ “Hey Jihoon. Something happened?”

        “Ah, not really? I mean, I know we had that botany exam, but we could use another hand with the papers and-“

        “Sure!”

        “-we would… Wait, what?”

        “I would love to come and help you around. I’m getting so bored around here, everyone’s…well almost everyone’s asleep.” Felix offered with a small chuckle, amused eyes taking in Jihoon’s surprised reaction.

        “Asleep? At this time? I get Chan, but why are the others asleep?”

        “All nighter.”

        “Ahhh. I get it now.” Felix announced that he would be going out and shut the door behind him, following Jihoon down the hall and through the section door. The walk to the Student Council room was a short one, both boys reaching the door in under five minutes. Felix knocked on the door and announced that it was him, Jihyo yanking the door open with a wide smile, despite the dark shadows underneath her eyes.

        “Felix! Jihoon! Here to hang out or to help?”

        “Why not both?” Felix remarked with raised eyebrows and a small grin. Jihyo waved them in and nodded, patting Felix on the back.

        “Yes, that’s a good answer too. Let’s have fun while working and everything will be finished in good spirits, yeah?”

        “Yep.” Nayeon came back from Krey’s office a while after Felix and Jihoon arrived, her hands filled to the brim with so many papers and envelopes that she could barely see. Felix and Jihyo, who were closer to the door, rushed out to ease the amount of papers from her arms, Nayeon smiling in relief when she finally saw again.

        “Thanks guys. So, these are the last batches that we need to finish. The Headmaster said that if these are in order, then we’re free to proceed with the party and all.”

        “Well, let’s split. Who does half the paperwork now and who helps with the decorations and the online orders?”

       “Well, you girls might have more ideas about decorations, so we could do our half of the papers and then join you in the discussion. How does that sound?” Felix was the one to suggest that, surprising the others since he never took initiative like that before during their meetings. He noticed their surprise, making him get flustered a little. Nayeon cooed, tucking a stray black lock behind her ear before moving towards him with the papers.

        “Of course. That’s a wonderful suggestion Felix.” She smiled reassuringly, and Felix felt like he accomplished something huge. His view upon humans was, for the first time, changing a little. Before they all went to high school, Felix rarely even interacted with people, and mostly only when he was accompanying Jisung or someone else outside. He met humans with whom he could calmly talk to, but most made him want to snap and curse at them or hit them. Most of the times he did neither and simply ignored them. When he went to high school, he was surrounded by humans in his classroom, but luckily, no human approached him and he had Chan and Jisung, meaning he was never left alone. Now that he knew Changbin was not human, he kind of regretted that he didn’t get to know the other during high-school. After all, while he had Jisung and Chan and the others back at home, Changbin didn’t have any friend until he met the two rappers. Felix somehow knew that the other was used to it and it didn’t hurt him, which made Felix regret not talking to him even more. No one should be used to that.

        Now that Felix was in university, it somehow made making friends easier for him. Maybe it was because he met Changbin, Minho and Seungmin, or maybe he just found Jihoon’s, Jihyo’s and Nayeon’s company nice, but he was surely changing.

        They got back to work after chatting for a little more, Felix with his own half of papers in front of him, and Jihoon across from him. Nayeon and Jihyo sat across the room at the large desk, facing the computer plugged in the outlet there. Jihyo kept on pointing at stuff while Nayeon scribbled down everything. The room was quiet and comfortable as they worked, the girls chatter almost a whisper. It made Felix and Jihoon jump in their seats when Nayeon raised her voice, face pulled into a frown, an aggravated sigh passing her lips when Jihyo stared at her.

        “We can’t not take those. It’s tradition.”

        “But tradition changes. We can add some new stuff once in a while.”

        “The Headmaster loves to see things be done traditionally and respecting tradition.”

        “He won’t even be there!”

        “That’s your excuse?” The air got tense as Nayeon and Jihyo continued to argue, Jihyo insisting that tradition was a must, while Nayeon kept on claiming that something new would be of use. Felix watched with a raised eyebrow, the two girls fighting over something as small as that surprising him, since there seemed to actually be annoyance behind their words. He didn’t know where it came from, since Jihyo and Nayeon were both nice humans.

        Jihoon got up from the desk, his chair scraping against the floor. His eyes shifted from Nayeon to Jihyo, fingers dancing across the table as he thought of what to do. Felix had no clue.

        Surprising Felix yet again with his boldness, Jihoon marched straight towards the girl and stomped between them, his arms crossed over his chest.

        “Girls! You shouldn’t bicker over something as petty as this when you’re friends. You can just think of something that would satisfy both of your desires.” Just when Nayeon was about to jab Jihyo in the ribs where she knew the other to be ticklish, Jihoon had slid in between them, making him the one to be the victim of Nayeon’s attack. “Sheesh, you know I’m ticklish!” He exclaimed, a shriek leaving his mouth. The girls stared at him before they started to chuckle loudly, reaching over to Jihoon to tickle him at the same time, both wearing equally wide grins. Jihoon started to squirm and shout, wishing to be released, but the girls wouldn’t hear. Felix couldn’t help but laugh under his breath, wide smile etched onto his lips. Humans were as surprising as he expected them to be, especially his friend. Felix’s eyes widened. _His friends._ Those were his friends, and only now did Felix truly realize that.

        “Hey you! Why are you grinning?! Get over here!” Felix shrieked and jumped away from his chair, failing to reach the door for Jihoon and Jihyo grabbed him and pulled him back inside, tickling him as well. Tears fell from his eyes from how much he laughed then.

        Yes, humans could be good. Yes, humans could be kind.

        They could be his friends and not his enemy.

        Felix could see that now.


	26. Black Kitsune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Halloween get-together is approaching, while a black fox makes its appearance ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guyss~~~ so, this is the first part, and the second part will be posted in a few days^^ I hope you like this chap and sorry for being a day late with it :)) I hope i'll get back into schedule as fast as possible.   
> As always, enjoy, comment and thank you^^ you are the best for reading my story <3 I love you, my readers.

         October passed faster than the fairies had expected, tests and pop-quizzes flying by them at light’s speed. Not only did it get chillier outside, but the trees lost all of their leaves, along with everything that was green dying. Jeongin felt the worst out of all of them, him being a nursing fairy and an earth one intensifying the profound feelings of loss.

        Friday 30th was to be a quite busy day for them, seeing as they had classes and a Halloween dress-up get-together to get ready for. Of course, this time as well, Felix and Chan were involved in the preparations, although now, Felix wasn’t just another helpful student, but vice-president assistant. He’d given in to Jihoon’s offer and had joined the student council, thinking that spending some time with his friends and helping out would be the best.

        Although, despite all that talk, where was Felix right now, as everyone worked? In his bed. At 6 AM, Jihoon and Chan had been already up and working, making phone calls to the local tailor shop to ask about the costumes and the fees, contacting the local food service and renting an entire floor for the get-together. Many students were already coming to it, so they needed to be ready. It wouldn’t be like the welcoming party, where they had an organized show and everything, because this time everyone was supposed to dress up as a supernatural creature and just enjoy the night.

        The curtains to his room were closed off completely, basking the room in enough darkness for Felix to sleep like a log. His bed was warm, warmer than the autumn air outside his blanket. It was enough that he had to stay with his head outside so he could breathe. Felix just didn’t have any desire to get up and work, the lethargy of cold weather soaking into his skin. He could hear the others run about through the house, their footsteps quite loud to his sensitive ears; they were most probably getting ready for the morning classes. _Ugh…morning…_

        When Felix heard his door click, he groaned and turned around in his bed, dragging his blanket over his head. He knew he should get up, should get ready for classes, but he just felt so tired. Shiaj made a sound of protest and cuddled closer to Felix’s hair, praying that they wouldn’t have to get up.

        “Felix~” The person entered the room and hummed Felix’s name, footsteps light across the carpet. Felix’s eyes widened, impossibly so, fingers tightening around the blanket. He could feel his charm vibrate, almost breaking off with his sudden impulse to shift, the bond vibrating to life so suddenly. Changbin watched as Felix curled underneath the blanket even more, making him laugh silently and clench his fists so he wouldn’t make any sound. He was too cute. “The others are waiting for you to wake up, y’know?” A head moved negatively underneath the blanket, causing Changbin to sigh.

        He walked over to the bed and leaned down, assessing where Felix’s limbs were exactly. Shiaj noticed what the other was doing and instantly removed himself from Felix’s hair, hiding underneath the pillow with a flap of his wings.

        “Wahh!!” Felix shrieked as he felt the bed disappear from under him. The world twisted for a second before he was looking in dark brown mischievous orbs and a wide smile. “Changbin! Put me down!”

        “Can’t do, darling. You’re waking up and getting ready for classes and for the get-together. No slacking off allowed.” There was a hint of laughter in Changbin’s voice, making Felix squirm even more. He knew he had a lot to do, but couldn’t he just laze around a little more?

        “Who even let you in?”

        “Chan did! He called me over, saying you wouldn’t wake up and that Jihoon needed help or else he would lose his mind among all of those bills.” Felix felt a little guilty now, realizing that his slacking off burdened others, but he still felt the need to sleep, so he didn’t really know what to do. Changbin saw the conflict in the other’s eyes and nodded to himself, his expression scaring Felix.

        “What are you…” Felix shrieked as Changbin ran out the door with him in his arms and through the hall, blanket trailing on the ground and door banging against the wall. He was definitely awake now. A sleepy Hyunjin had to plaster his body against the wall to avoid being hit by the two, his eyes watching with wariness and curiosity at what was happening. Jisung, who’d most certainly been involved in everything, was laughing his ass off next to Minho in the kitchen.

        From Felix’s pillow, Shiaj watched everything unfold before him, squeezing his eyes shut when he heard the bangs and shouts outside the door. _Too loud…_

        A flap of wings gathered his attention, making him look up at the white haired pixie that was currently resting atop the white sheets.

        _“Morning~”_  Lila spoke softly, singing almost. Shiaj’s eyes opened a little more, realizing that she had snuck into the apartment along with Changbin. She was wearing a dark purple dress with white edges, a hood with fur covering her white locks, white fluffy socks and gloves reaching up to her knees and elbows. She looked ready to go through a snow storm. Well…Shiaj would need to get some clothes like those for him and for the other fairies living with them so they wouldn’t freeze by the time winter arrived.

        _“Morning. I see you geared up well~”_ Shiaj remarked, making Lila huff and sit down onto the bed, her hands going around her body. She must’ve been self-conscious about her clothing choice, making her get flustered upon Shiaj’s mentioning. Seeing this, Shiaj smiled warmly at her, surprising her. _“It looks good on you.”_ Lila’s surprise morphed into a smile, her hands relaxing. Shiaj wanted to ask why she reacted like that, but he didn’t dare. If she wanted to, she would open up to him. As healing pixies, they all had dark pasts.

        It came as a surprise for both Lila and Shiaj when Groovy, Yrys and Pheeya appeared out of nowhere and sat down on the bed, wide eyes regarding Lila. Shiaj was about to open his mouth to explain who she was and that she meant no harm, when the youngest of them, Pheeya, walked forward and extended her hand towards Lila, smiling widely.

        _“Hey there…I’m Pheeya, Jeongin’s pixie companion.”_ Seeing as Pheeya trusted Lila, Groovy and Yrys introduced themselves as well, making Lila smile. It was nice for a change, to see pixies approach her so cleanly and with trust. Most avoided her and even cursed at her, especially those from the fairy realm, saying that she was an abomination. She couldn’t help but tear up a little at how accepted she felt. Shiaj could see all the emotions unfold in her eyes, recognizing them as his own; he’d felt the same way when Felix found him and the brought him back home and all the pixies welcomed him with opened arms.

        While Felix was busy talking with everyone in the kitchen and helping Jihoon with the bills whilst still in his pajamas, the pixies continued to hang out and talk, the discussions being mostly questions addressed by the others to Lila in curiosity of where she traveled and if she could use her powers the same way their Shiaj could.

        Almost an hour later, Felix returned to his room to get dressed, sighing heavily after having to go through at least a hundred papers. The only pixie that he found in his room was Shiaj, only a lock of white hair visible from underneath the blanket. He couldn’t help but smile fondly at his little companion, sleeping peacefully.

        Reaching for the closet door, Felix wrenched it open, cursing at the way it creaked and looked back at Shiaj, exhaling when he saw that he was still asleep. With deft fingers, he started to skip through hangers in an attempt to find something acceptable to wear for the day. Something caught his eye at the bottom of the closet when he pulled out a pair of ripped black jeans and a loose blue and pink striped sweater, a plastic bag thrown against the wooden back. He threw the clothes onto his desk chair and reached down to grab the bag, a surprised hum reverberating from his throat when he realized that inside the bag were the candies that Shiaj had enchanted. Grinning to himself, he reached inside the bag and plucked two candies, throwing them into the air and catching them in his mouth. He could feel them instantly start to melt on his tongue, the chocolaty and strawberry flavor entertaining his taste buds.

        He instantly felt all of his strength replenish, his energy growing stronger as well, although not strong enough to destroy the charm. For some weird reason, he could feel the phoenix fire inside him sooth, its burning edges cooling a little. He felt a little better. Felix couldn’t even remember how the candies got in the closet.  All he could remember was craving them a lot for at least a week or so before he forgot about them.

        Shaking his head and focusing back on his surroundings, Felix grabbed the clothes and headed to the bathroom to get changed. He could still hear Changbin and Minho laughing in the kitchen at whatever they were talking about, Seungmin, Jeongin and Hyunjin already at their classes.

        In a way, Felix couldn’t help but be excited about the upcoming Halloween get-together, since they could half-shift and pretend that it’s their costumes. Of course, they would look far realer than any fairy costume, but no one would ponder on it for too long.

        When he entered the kitchen, he took in what everyone was doing: Minho and Changbin were seated at the table, Minho explaining something to the other, Chan was at the stove, flipping pancakes, Woojin and Jisung looking through a book, leaning against the back wall of the kitchen. Jihoon was no longer over at theirs, having most probably gone back to his room to change and get ready for class. Changbin was the first to notice the other’s presence, lightly blushing when he saw how the other was dressed. The blue and pink sweater made Felix’s eyes pop out, accentuating his cute features and fluffy blonde hair. It also seemed that his hair was a little curly and reached a little past his eyes, something Changbin hadn’t noticed before. Felix smiled at him when he noticed his gaze stuck on him, before he walked over to the stove to help Chan with the food.

        Their breakfast went by fast, accompanied by small talk and discussions about the get-together. Chan’s phone rang almost as soon as they all finished their food, signaling him that it was the time for them to head to class.

        On their way to the door, Changbin’s shirt fell a little off his shoulder, revealing a quite nasty bruise. Felix, who was walking right beside him, noticed it immediately. He was accustomed to bruises so he instantly dismissed the thought of it being a hickey, leading to his next question: _Who dared to injure Changbin?_

        “Binnie, what’s with that? Did someone hurt you?” Changbin turned to look at Felix when he felt his shirt being pulled a little down and heard the barely masked anger laced with his words, his eyes wild. Changbin craned his neck to take a better look at what Felix was referring to, seeing the quite big bruise on the backside of his shoulder. He rubbed the spot and looked up at Felix with reassuring eyes.

        “Oh, don’t worry about it. I fell yesterday and hit my back quite badly. I didn’t really notice that. Anyways, it’s just one bruise, it’ll heal.” His smile was wide, and behind that smile hid about a dozen more bruises on his body and muscles aching in places he didn’t even know he had muscles that could ache. After the first training day, when Changbin had proved to be quite good with instincts about self-defense, Minho raised the level of their training, putting more strength and strategy into his attacks, forcing Changbin to be on his toes at all times. Minho sometimes attacked the other even when there weren’t in training, just to test his reflexes. At one point, Changbin felt really happy when he managed to flip Minho over when the other tried to knock into his back. That very morning, he’d managed to evade one of Minho’s strategy hit, only to slip and fall on his back, so what he told Felix wasn’t that much of a lie.

        “…Okay…If anyone dares hurt you, you tell me and I’ll beat the shit out of them, yeah?” Felix grinned at Changbin, knocking his fist against his chest where his heart would be. Changbin chuckled and nodded, his eyes catching the way Minho’s eyes widened a little while watching Felix.

****

        “Guys, I brought your herbalism test sheets. I think most of you did very well and I can see that you studied for the test. The average grade of this class is 79, so it’s really good.” Mr. Raynolds announced almost as soon as his briefcase hit the surface of his desk. One corner of his lips was pulled upwards in a small smile, a small mutter of _I have the best class this year, take that Julia_ passing by the ears of the Fae. Felix and a girl from class, Hymna, offered to pass out the test sheets, both sneaking a glance to see who got what grade. When it came to Felix to hand out Jihoon’s papers and saw the big, red 94 on his test, he beamed and congratulated Jihoon, watching as the other started to smile widely, eyes glazed over a little. Most of their group had gotten over 90, calling for a well-deserved celebration. Minho was the one to come up with the idea of staying in to have another movie night as a celebration, everyone agreeing.

        “Well, now that you’ve passed all the papers, thank you, Felix and Hymna, I’d like you to open your textbooks at pages 34 and 35.”

        “Amanita phalloides?!”

        “Yes, Jisung. We’ll be studying Amanita phalloides up next, because I want you to be able to recognize and avoid it in case you are stranded in a forest and need to eat something. These mushrooms are highly poisonous and have been the cause of several deaths in the past years here in Seoul. They’re commonly known as death cap and have a white, almost pale golden look to them.”

        “Sir, we’ll extract and produce poison from them too?”

        “No. Our university doesn’t grow them because it could be dangerous. It’s also a reason why I won’t let you do the poison at your dorms and instead do it here in class where I can supervise you. Yes, it’ll take longer, but I don’t want us to have any accidents. I hope you’re not upset about this. Jisung, do you want to be my assistant today as well?” Jisung nodded quickly, getting out of his chair as fast as possible, his lips stretched into a wide grin. Ever since the first day they had to produce poisons, Jisung started to study them a lot and got so immersed into them that he learned about almost every type of poison and poisoning symptoms out there. Mr. Raynolds was quick to take notice of that, asking around class who would like to help him make the sample poisons, knowing that almost everyone felt wary regarding poisons…all but Jisung.

        Jisung and Mr. Raynolds worked on the poison, the others following their instructions closely. Mr. Raynolds could feel just how much Jisung enjoyed this, making him feel proud to be the other’s professor.

        In class 98B, Hyunjin and Seungmin were passing notes to each other, reading them underneath their desks and then passing them back to the other. Normally, they wouldn’t have to do that because they were desk mates, but today, they had group projects so the class was separated into half and half.

        As soon as Hyunjin finished writing his response, he crumpled up the piece of paper and made sure the teacher was facing the blackboard before he threw the ball. He miscalculated and the ball landed in front of Ryujin instead of Seungmin. Hyunjin took in a sharp breath, his eyes broadening a little. To his surprise, Ryujin raised the ball to her mouth as if she wanted to eat it or bite it apart, before she threw it at Seungmin, hitting his shoulder a little and bouncing off. Seungmin turned to look at her with surprise, but she was already looking away. She’d paid enough attention around her to know that they’d been communicating through the damned papers.

        Hyunjin sighed in relief when he registered Ryujin’s strange behavior, and apparently, Seungmin was surprised as well. Their eyes met in a silent question, before they separated when the teacher turned around.

****       

        “Channieee~~” Bambam sang the other’s name almost as soon as he entered the café. Chan couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight before him: Bambam was wearing a black apron and a white bonnet, white gloves and a black choker with a cat bell attached to it. He knew the other to be quite an eccentric person, but that was well beyond his limits.

      “I had the same reaction when I saw him in the morning.” Yugyeom provided, walking over to Chan, his eyes following Bambam who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Yugyeom was dressed a little more normally, with just the café’s uniform of black and white.

        “Yugyeom, you’ve been indulging yourself in the latte’s around you, haven’t you?”

        “Hmm?”

        “You have foam on the corner of your lips.”

        “Oh, that.” Yugyeom nodded, his serpent-like forked tongue slipping over his upper lip to take off the foam. The entire action was as fast as lightning, although Chan managed to see. It always hit him just how many different characteristics those from the Fae had.

        “So, dear mister, what would you like to order?” Bambam inquired, a single eyebrow raised. Chan grinned and hopped onto one of the stools in front of the marble counter.

        “A black coffee, like my soul.”

        “Alright, a latte with a lot of milk coming right up.” Yugyeom laughed at that, taking a seat next to Chan despite being on the shift as well. They both seemed at ease, working at L7L. At first, Chan was worried that they wouldn’t like the job or that they would mess stuff up, but they were so natural at it all.

        “How was today? Busy as usual?”

        “Actually, it was quiet all day. You’re our first customer today.”

        “Wow…Why?”

        “Well, it’s most certainly about that incident a few streets away from here. A demon attacked someone again and most residents from around our café are afraid to even go out. The streets were deserted, in fact.”

        “Another attack?”

        “Yeah. Yugyeom saw it for a second and tried to chase it but he lost him in the sewers. Apparently, it’s a mirror demon.”

        “Damn…Doublets are hard to catch.”

        “That’s what you call them?” Yugyeom inquired, the name sounding strange on his tongue.

        “Yeah…since we are warrior fairies we need to know every type of demon by name and abilities. A Doublet is a demon that can create illusions of his body to deter you from the track and lose him. He also uses that power to make victims run in the opposite direction, thinking that he’s coming from there, without realizing that they’re running straight into his claws.”

        “You sure know your stuff Channie. I tend to use common names for them rather than the official stuff.” Bambam muttered, his eyes focused outside. Bambam and Chan had been in the same training class, although with Bambam being a shaman, he chose to remain on that path rather than be a warrior fairy. Because of that, he didn’t study as much as they did.

        “Aren’t we supposed to go back to Uni for Woojin’s course?” Yugyeom inquired, raising his hand in front of his face so he could look at the watch on his wrist. Bambam hurried to the staff room so he could get changed while Chan bid them farewell and said that he’d see them there, before he started to run back to university.

****

        “Good to see you all back again.” Woojin greeted once everyone entered the classroom and the bell rung. He was dressed casually with black pants and a loose green shirt that seemed to make his complexion lighter. His fair hair was tamed, locks parted on one side. “Today, we will be discussing the anatomy of fairy wings.” Almost as soon as Woojin said that, half of the classroom grimaced. Changbin thought that it was because they didn’t really like the lesson, but what he didn’t know was that almost all of them had had their wings ripped off, so it was a painful subject for them. From the second desk, Chan could see Woojin’s apologetic glance as he looked around the classroom. He certainly knew just how awful it felt, despite still having his wings.

        “Fairy wings appear after an individual grows old enough, around the age of 40 to 60. First, the backbone develops more before the wing bones start to grow out. It’s a painful process, but once the wings are out and the feathers fully grow, the fairy’s magic enchants the wings, allowing them to turn into a simple tattoo when the fairy wishes to either hide his or her wings, or when they need to protect them during a fight.”

        “Would the tattoo appear anywhere?”

        “The tattoo would appear on the fairy’s back as a big tattoo usually, but it can also be a small tattoo on the neck, shoulder blades or on the lower side of the back. The flight mechanism is similar to a bird’s, although fairies cannot float for too long. They can fly by using their strong muscles, but the entire weight could hinder them a little. There are trained fighters that can fly better than anyone else and those usually have stronger wings than others, despite appearing smaller in size.” Woojin continued for the next half hour to speak about the entire structure of the wings, naming muscles and bones in them. He made the copy drawing from the blackboard and complete the arrows in the images on their own to make sure that they were paying enough attention.

        “Now, after the wings are fully grown they become enchanted. That gives them the ability to shape-shift a little depending on what the fairy needs. If it’s to pierce demons or to protect someone, or even themselves, from a blast, the feathers could harden so much that they would almost look as if they’re made out of bulletproof metal.  During a fight, the tips of their wings can harden enough to be able to act as a weapon of their own, piercing with them.  In some special circumstances, the feathers can reflect light and hide the fairy in plain view, though there were very rare instances when something like that happens.”

        “How are…they supposed to fight if they have wings on their backs? Wouldn’t that hinder them?” One of the students that Woojin knew to have grown outside of the Fairy Realm inquired, his face pulled into a frown.

        “Well…when they train, they use their wings as well. First they have normal training where their wings are used in combat and they learn how to use magic to harden them, and then their wings are tied so that they can learn how to fight without their wings as well in case they would be exiled. There’s a short story about coloring of the feathers at page 50, would anyone like to read?” Hyunjin raised his hand, his eyes a little saddened from a reason Woojin didn’t know.

        “For fairies, their wings can take on various shapes and colors, although most have eagle feathers or sparrow feathers. The colors depend on their element the most, but they can also be shared genetically. Seeing as the wings get enchanted after they fully grow, they can change colors if a curse if used upon them. Many fairies get severe pains from doing or having something like that done to them, so the curses are forbidden to use and sealed in the restricted area. One can also have their colors be altered before their wings grow feathers by eating Grühlhfir leaves and dreaming about their colored wings. The leaves tend to direct the fairy into using oneiromancy magic to change the color of their feathers. In order to do something like that, the fairy needs to have a really strong core, otherwise it wouldn’t work.” Hyunjin finished talking, his gaze filled with longing as he looked at the beautiful feathers drawn onto the page and the wings that sat outstretched across it.

        Half an hour after Woojin handed out their exercise to draw a pair of wings that would represent them, he started to walk through the rows of chairs and to look around at everyone’s paintings. His eyes took in each of the designs, warm smile blooming on his lips at the beautiful colorations and feathers. He came to a stop when he saw Changbin’s drawing: the wings that he drew were big and beautifully shadowed, the raven black feathers of a royal eagle sprouting from the bone, the tips sharp. His breath got knocked out of his chest when he realized that Changbin had drawn a pair of hybrid wings. Chan seemed too absorbed with his drawing to realized that Woojin had paled a little and had stopped next to Changbin, but Felix did. He looked up at Woojin, then back at Changbin. He was really surprised with the painting, although he found it to be beautiful despite not recognizing to what creature a pair of wings like that belonged. Changbin was oblivious as he continued to contour the wings, adding light to them.

        “Mr. Kim?” One of the female students from up front raised her hand, startling Woojin and making Changbin look up, surprised that Woojin was next to his desk. Woojin smiled at Changbin and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before he moved over to the girl. She seemed reluctant to ask her question, but Woojin’s reassuring and warm gaze was enough for her nerves to sooth; something in his eyes made her feel calm. “Will we ever get to talk about seals?”

        “Seals? As in seals used upon objects or seals used upon Fae?”

        “…Upon Fae.” Most of the classroom seemed to get a little uncomfortable.

        “Well, technically I didn’t have that one planned for our course, but I can speak a little about seals if you want to know more. As you most certainly know, a seal is a magical barrier that is placed upon a Fae so that they wouldn’t be able to use their energy, to shift or to even remember certain events that involved magic. To place a seal on a creature of the Fae is technically illegal, and if a witch or a shaman was to place such a seal, Mother Earth or their own clan deity would take away their energy. Without that vital energy, most die or become less than a human. The seal itself isn’t that strong, however, because prolonged exposure to the Fae world can lead to its breakage. The signs are slow to appear and you won’t even realize when a seal is about to break. Mother Earth frowns upon such seals because they take away the natural senses that a Fae has around the nature, although she cannot interfere to break the seal. Only the nature itself can by tugging at the energy-filled core of the Fae.”

        “Would there be a way for the sealed person to remember and break the seal on their own?” Felix inquired, his voice loud enough to fill the entire room. Woojin straightened up a little and shook his head after a few moments.

        “They wouldn’t remember anything, much less break a seal.” Woojin waited to see if anyone would have any other question, before turning back to the one that asked in the first place to check that she didn’t have any more questions. The girl shook her head and leaned back in her seat, thanking Woojin.

                                             ****

        A hum filled the office room while Krey dusted off the shelves around his desk. He couldn’t help but take out all of the books and clean the shelves after trailing his fingers after a book and seeing them all coated with dust. A dirty room was a nightmare for Krey. Swaying his hips as he worked through the books, he hummed to the song blasting through his laptop speakers. Thoughts about someone coming in and seeing him act like that made him chuckle.

        After he’d met again with his long-lost daughter and had saved that hybrid from the cabin in the woods, he was forced to separate again with her, but this time with the knowledge that she was alive and well and that she would be by his side in the future.

        _The tent was quiet as Seya leaned against the central pillar of it, her armor stained black. Krey was seated at the table with Sarah and James, Matthew gone to the nearby village to check if everything was alright with the Vit’gerns that escaped still prowling the woods._

_“What will you be doing now, Seya?” Krey asked, looking her in the eyes. She could see the longing in her father’s eyes, the wish that she would just go with him and stay safe, but she couldn’t._

_“We’ll be going south. The demons aren’t the only ones that pose a threat for the hybrids. The hunters do, too, and while the hunters are restless, so am I. I need them all to be safe. Please understand, dad.” Seya’s eyes held sadness and determination at the same time, confirming for Krey that she couldn’t come home. He nodded gravely and lowered his eyes. There was nothing he could do. “We’ll be reunited once the Fairy Realm goes back to what it used to be.”_

It still hurt Krey that she was away from him, but he knew her duties couldn’t allow her to rest. He knew all too well, because he couldn’t rest either. Somehow, his training with Jeongin got more intense after he returned, because he wanted nothing more than to be sure that the other could easily defend himself. While he couldn’t be there to protect Seya, he was here to protect Jeongin, his family and the students.

        When he heard the loud knocks coming from his door, Krey abandoned the book from his hands and ran for the door, opening it with a wide grin.

        “Jeonginnie…you must have an attraction for torture if you came back so soon.” Krey joked, making Jeongin laugh. They’d been focused on helping Jeongin sense his Kitsune side all week, and barely got a sense of it, although it made him really tired.

         Jeongin wore a thick jacket over his sweat pants and t-shirt, a headband strapped on his forehead and pushing his black locks back. He looked youthful and full of life, something Krey wanted to protect at all costs.

         “Well, my brothers always told me that I’m a sucker for pain. That was during our combat training after we were exiled and we had to relearn how to fight and balance ourselves without our wings…” There was a distant pain in Jeongin’s voice, so Krey grabbed him by the forearms and stared into his eyes with his own wide ones, trying to weird him out in an attempt to distract him. It worked, because Jeongin was instantly frowning with a reluctant smile on his face. “Krey, you okay?”

         “Oh~ The rhyme! Of course I’m fine.” Krey ushered the other inside, haphazardly moving his hands to make all of the books fly back onto the now clean shelves. Jeongin couldn’t help but shake his head at the mess that Krey had made before he got there. Almost as soon as the last book hit the shelf, Krey was in front of Jeongin, his eyes a light blue. Krey’s hair had gotten longer, so now his golden locks were caught in a ponytail at the base of his neck with a black hair tie.

         “Now, focus on my breathing.”

         “Not mine?”

         “No, this time we’ll try something different. Focus.” Jeongin strained his ears and tried to listen only to Krey’s breathing. At first, he found it a little difficult, because he could hear Krey’s heartbeat, Mina’s heartbeat, the wind flowing outside, the- “Focus!” Krey’s voice reverberated deeply through Jeongin’s body, the other’s voice a little deeper than normal. Jeongin gasped as he felt himself get succumbed into his mind somehow. He could feel his body, but his gaze was blurry and he couldn’t really understand what was happening. The world shifted in front of him, and suddenly he couldn’t really feel his body. He felt numb but also in pain at the same time. He started to hyperventilate, his heartbeat rising up in levels, his breathing becoming irregular. He tried to move his hands, his legs, but nothing felt like his own. He scrunched his eyes shut and lowered himself down to the ground, whines escaping from his throat. He could hear a faint voice calling him back to the world.

_"…in. Jeongin! Jeongin, continue to focus on my breathing!”_ He heard the voice in his mind, but he couldn’t really tell where it was coming from. He could feel something nuzzling his neck. _“Open your eyes!”_ Jeongin did as told, revealing green irises with a black slit in the middle. Krey had been nuzzling Jeongin’s neck with his snout in an attempt to calm him down. Jeongin looked around him and realized that he was seeing the world from a different level. He was still a few ways away from the ground, but he couldn’t see as high as he knew he could. Looking down at the ground, he was faced with black paws, covered in soft-looking fur and sharp claws that seemed to dig into the floor.  He looked ahead of him, catching Krey’s feline eyes and grin. The other was shifted in his Kitsune form as well, white-golden fur covering his body. He had three tails that were slowly swaying from side to side. Jeongin could see that one of his tails was coated with a grey outer layer, making his eyes widen and snout open in shock. Krey would seem to be 1200 year old, if his tails spoke for himself. If a Kitsune passed a thousand years in age, their first tail would fuse with the other nine and create a single one that would take on a darker or lighter color than the rest of the body to show the age. After that, more tails would continue to grow as the Kitsune advanced in age, the process repeating until the fox’s death.

_“That was really good Jeongin! You shifted!”_ Krey’s joy could be heard simply from his voice, although he could also see it in the wagging of his tails. It made Jeongin happy, seeing the other like that. He started to walk around the room, getting used to his body more. He could see his two black tails wagging behind him, could sense the strong muscles as he moved and the jagged teeth lining his jaws. His ears tweaked a little when he heard the outer door click. Krey shifted in his human form and went to the door, parting it only a little to talk with Mina before he returned back to Jeongin and kneeled before him. “Jeonginnie, now you need to learn how to shift back as well. Just imagine your human form. Think about your fox body fusing back into your human one. Your magic is strong, so it should be enough to help you through the process.” Jeongin did as told, or at least tried to, thinking about his human body and comparing the shift to the one from Fae to human body. He just let his magic shift him back naturally, although that didn’t mean that he grew exhausted almost as soon as he turned back. He was on his knees when he shifted back to his human body, thighs giving out underneath him. He started to fall forward, his body going slack, but hands reached out and hugged him close to a warm body, making him smile. Krey brushed his wet locks away from his forehead, smiling proudly at the younger boy. Pressing a soft kiss on the other’s forehead, Jeongin felt energy seeping back into his body, making almost anew. He looked with wide eyes at Krey, surprised that the other had shared energy so easily with him. Usually, Fae only shared energy with their family, so it made Jeongin feel his eyes sting a little at the warmth that blossomed in his chest.

         “Go and rest for now, or spend time with your family. You did really well today.” Jeongin nodded, his brown eyes regarding Krey with new sentiments of safety and warmth. Somehow…somehow Krey reminded him a lot of his father.


	27. Siren songs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeongin and Yedam finally get their hands on a sea shell and a movie night ensues ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guyyss!~~~ here comes the second part! I hope you all enjoy this chap^^ Make sure to have fun while reading and to have a snack on hand ;)

         Shuffling around his office, Chan tried as much as possible to help Woojin with his documents. He helped organize them and stack them, although his mind was a bit elsewhere. Ever since they finished with the Mythology course, he’d wanted to take Woojin out somewhere, but the other had said that he had to deal with the documents first-hand before doing something else, so Chan ended up helping him so he could finish faster. That didn’t mean that Chan wouldn’t be having his way.

        As he walked around the office to grab a few papers from in front of Woojin, Chan leaned over the other’s shoulder and sneaked in a quick kiss on the other’s cheek out of nowhere, surprising Woojin. Ignoring Woojin’s surprised gasp, Chan walked back to his seat in front of the other and placed the papers back on their stack. Woojin stared at him for a bit more before looking back at his notebook, intrigued by the other’s actions and by the fact that Chan was _humming._

        Another minute passed, and Woojin was done with his notebook so he leaned forward to place it on top of the other books, but Chan did the same thing and leaned forward to kiss the other on the nose. Woojin’s cheeks tinted a pale pink, but Chan still wasn’t looking at him. The same thing happened for at least five more times before Woojin finally understood. It was as if they were playing a _game_ and only now did Woojin understand the rules: hit as many kisses without breaking. Well, two could play at the same game.

         Sighing, Woojin got up from his desk and headed for the bookshelves that lined the wall behind Chan and next to the door, hoping to retrieve one of the books that he needed. Seeing this as another opportunity for him, Chan got up from his chair and sneaked behind the other. Standing on his tiptoes a little, Chan reached his hands around Woojin's shoulders and leaned in to press a kiss on the other's cheek, but Woojin was aware of what the other was doing this time, so he turned around in the last moment and pressed his lips against the other's, fingers grabbing around the hands that were strewn around his shoulders.

         Leaning back, Chan's eyes widened amusingly, shocked that he got defeated by the other and that the other had been so bold in his actions. He was sporting a dark blush on his cheeks, hands frozen around Woojin. Chuckling, Woojin headed back to his desk chair, leaving the shocked Chan behind to follow.

         "Chan 1.2 has stopped working. Woojin.exe destroyed the data base." Woojin exclaimed as soon as he and Chan sat down, a wide smile stretching his lips, eyes glinting blue in the light. Chan, having now recovered after that surprise, started to laugh at Woojin's words, hands grasping at the chair's arms so he wouldn't fall off. Woojin didn't expect that reaction, startling him. He didn't know that his joke would have such a result.

         "You sure are something else..." Chan mumbled through the laughter, eyes making contact with Woojin's. When he saw Woojin open his mouth, ready to question the other about what he meant, Chan got up and leaned over the desk completely, not caring about the papers and the notebooks, and kissed Woojin fully on the mouth, making the other squeak in surprise. He'd been disturbing Woojin during his work all of that time, so it wouldn't be too bad if he did it again. Placing his hands on the other's shoulders and grabbing at his collar to pull him closer, Chan deepened the kiss, making Woojin have to contain his wide smile. When Woojin felt the need to breathe again, he bit Chan's lower lip, making the other hiss and separate with a pout.

         "Ya, I still have lungs and I need my air, so don't pout." Woojin exclaimed, red lips curling into a smile. The wind fairy looked adorable like that. Chan huffed and gave Woojin one last peck on the lips before he settled back in his chair, this time to actually help Woojin through the paperwork.

****

        “Come on, Blutige was really excited to meet you all back then and now she’s free to do so and actually talk with us! Hurry!” Hyunjin exclaimed, dragging Jisung by the hand so the other would be walking faster. After Jeongin returned from his training with Krey, he couldn’t help but want to go out. Chan was with Woojin, and Felix was too busy with the runes that he’d discovered, so he went over with Jisung and Hyunjin. Seeing as he’d wanted to take Yedam to the Crimson Sea District for a while now, he looked for the other as well, finding him in the library with a book in his lap. Seungmin had joined almost immediately as soon as he heard about where they were going.

        The District was rather quiet, the wind blowing softly through the deserted alleys. It was a little unnerving, seeing that almost no one was outside, but Jeongin thought it to be normal. After all, Halloween was coming soon and everyone needed to get ready for the night that was to come.

        Blutige’s house came into view, making Hyunjin jump a little faster towards the door with a wide grin. The door had some markings etched into it, although Seungmin couldn’t really understand them despite them being written in his language. It seemed to be some sort of ancient protection spell, if he wasn’t mistaken. With three rapid knocks, Hyunjin opened the door and shouted that they’d arrived. He’d spoken over the phone with Blutige before-hand, making sure that she wasn’t busy.

        “Guys! Come in, I’m inside my office!” Her jovial voice reverberated throughout the entire house, surprising Jeongin a little. He followed the others up the stairs, surprised to sense that Yedam had stepped a little closer to him, as if scared of something. Jeongin wanted to reach out and grasp at the other’s hand, although he didn’t know if he’d be crossing any line so he opted not to. He wouldn’t want to make Yedam uncomfortable.

        The office was huge, the lights above illuminating every corner of it. There was also a huge bouquet of red roses on the left side of her desk, the tips of the roses tinted black.

        “You’ve got an admirer?” Seungmin inquired politely, glancing up at the red haired. Blutige smiled, although it didn’t reach her eyes. She seemed confused at most.

        “Actually, I don’t think it’s from an admirer. I received them a few days ago with a note saying _‘Your savior’._ ”

        “And they look just as if they’d been recently plucked from a bush…”

        “They’re enchanted.” Jeongin spoke up for the first time after entering her office, walking closer to the bouquet. He lightly trailed his fingers over the soft petals, feeling the strong wind magic over them. “It’s the same spell that I use, and there’re also light trails of strong wind magic over them. I’d say it’s from a Flügelyr fairy, but I cannot be certain.”

        “I’ve had my suspicions…thank you. I think I know now from whom these flowers came. Thanks a lot for helping me out.” Blutige smiled widely at Jeongin, her eyes lighting up a little. Jeongin nodded and walked back to stand next to Yedam, whom was looking up at him with awe, making him blush a little.

        “Sit down please. Would you like anything to drink while we talk?” They shook their heads, smiling a little to reassure Blutige that it was fine. As soon as they were all seated, she turned towards the three with whom she hadn’t spoken before. “My name is Blutmund and I’m the shaman that defends this district. I possess fire and earth, although my eyes withhold the colors of the rainbow. It’s just something that I was born with.” Her rainbow eyes were the ones that helped her sense other people’s emotions, making it easy for her to locate someone with ill intent. Blutige herself was a stranger when it came to the question of how she got her rainbow eyes.

        “I’m Yang Jeongin, a nursing fairy, and my element is earth. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Jeongin introduced himself, although his introduction made Blutige frown.

        _‘Why are you hiding your tribal ancestry?’_ Jeongin almost gasped out loud at the intrusive voice that filled his mind instantly. He recognized the voice to belong to Blutige, making his eyes widen a little. She had to be strong to be able to do telepathic spells like that so fast.

        _‘They would be endangered by the knowledge. It’s safer this way. I want to protect my family.’_ Jeongin thought in his mind, hoping that she was still listening. Blutige nodded subtly, agreeing with the other’s reasoning. She would’ve done the same in his place. The interaction between the two went unnoticed by the others, courtesy of Blutige. There was something about Jeongin’s scent that felt familiar to Blutige, although she couldn’t pin-point exactly what. The next one was Yedam, although he was shy in introducing himself. Blutige’s eyes widened when the other specified that he was a Sangvine, surprising Yedam.

        “I was raised for a while by Sangvines! They gave me the name that I’m currently going by. Blutmund means bloody mouth, and Blutige means the bloody one. They gave me this name because I kept on fighting despite being drenched in blood. Those are really good memories... I’m really happy that I got to meet another Sangvine. Your kind is rarely seen around here, so I’m really glad you came to visit. I suppose you’re their friend?”

        There it was…that word again. Friends. Yedam still felt a shock go through him whenever he heard that word, because he was indeed Jeongin’s friend, and Jeongin’s family were his friends. He had friends.

        “Yes, I am a friend of theirs. And I’m really glad because of that.” Yedam’s smile was so bright it was blinding. Jeongin had never been happier with a decision that he’d made than with the one where he decided to befriend Yedam. This time, he dared to lean a bit towards the other and place a hand on Yedam’s shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. He could feel the other’s energy thrum underneath his fingers somehow, could feel the surprise that ran through Yedam. It spiked his senses more.

        “I’m Han Jisung, fire warrior fairy. We’ve met before…sort of. Oh, and about that…sorry for assuming that you were the one to heal Felix.”

        “She was there Jisungie-“

        “I wasn’t there.” Blutige spoke, surprising both Hyunjin and Seungmin. They looked over at her, but she was smiling softly at Jisung, whom was blushing. “Minho had gone undercover to help Felix. Although, I would’ve done the same if I’d have known.”

        “How do you know Minho?” Jisung inquired, remembering how jealous he’d felt before Hyunjin explained that the two were just friends. Blutige looked a little uncomfortable for a bit, before she stood up with a determined look on her face, the red dress that she wore waving. She smiled at them all, extending a hand for Jisung to take. Reluctantly, Jisung reached his hand out and interlocked his fingers with Blutige, shouting when he felt the world around him spinning. The others were left gaping at the empty spot before them after Jisung and Blutige poofed out of the office. They heard a soft voice telling them to look around the house if they wanted, before silence reigned over them. Jeongin couldn’t help but start laughing and grab at Yedam’s hand to urge him out of the room so they could explore the beautiful house. Hyunjin and Seungmin ran after the giggling boys, smiles on their faces.

        Jisung opened his eyes reluctantly, taking in the huge archway of stairs and the golden tapestry of the walls. He could still feel his hand clenched into Blutige’s, the fingers curled around his reassuring him that nothing would happen. He could practically feel Blutige’s wide smile.

        “Don’t worry. I just teleported us somewhere more secluded. This place here is a nearby library that I tend to sometimes. We won’t be disturbed here.”

        “This is a library?! It’s huge…” Jisung looked around again, although he couldn’t find any bookshelf. Noticing his confusion, Blutige chuckled and led him down the staircase.

        “The library is this way. This place is huge so make sure you keep close.” She released his hand and started ahead, her red dress flowing behind her, dark red tresses curling with the current. She seemed to be a force of nature.

        The library was indeed huge, although inside, the walls weren’t as golden as the outside hall, and the wood seemed a bit old. Jisung could now understand what she’d been meaning when she said that she used to tend to it from time to time. There were certain places where the paint had been restored and where the shelves had been changed for new ones. They strolled through the shelves, Blutige trailing her fingers softly over book spines.

        “I met Minho in the dark realm, where we were both exiled. I knew him under the name of Azurblau. We helped each other survive while in there, but at one point we got separated and captured. I got taken in by a dark witch that tried to turn me into a witch just like herself, but I managed to escape. Minho was captured by demons, on the other hand, meaning that they tried to force black blood in his system and tortured him.” Jisung felt his blood run cold at the thought of Minho enduring something like that. “He managed to get away and found me again. He found Seungmin too, but that’s Seungmin’s story for when he wants to share it. He saved me, Jisungie…he saved me from the demons instead of saving himself. I tried to help, but I couldn’t…he pushed me through the portal and I could do nothing but watch as he got overwhelmed by the demons. He managed to get away with Seungmin but…I still cannot forget nor forgive what I did.” Jisung wasn’t really good at comforting someone other than his family, which made him question what he should do when he saw Blutige’s pained gaze. He couldn’t help but remember Hyunjin’s words about Seungmin and Minho about how they’d gone through awful things before they met them. That applied to Blutige.

        “I’m sure Minho thinks the same as I do. It wasn’t your fault. Minho wanted to save you, so he did just that. I went into many wars and faced a lot of loss during them, so I can say with my hand on my heart that I would’ve done the same thing without batting an eye if it were my friend or family.” Jisung spoke softly, a hand wrapped loosely around Blutige’s wrist to stop her from moving forward. Her dark locks were blocking Jisung’s view of her face. “At first I didn’t know who you were, but now that I got to talk with you, I can feel that you’re a good person. Anyone would want to save someone like that.” It worried Jisung when he heard a whimper from Blutige, although the worry disappeared when he saw Blutige’s face: she was smiling, despite her teary eyes.

        “You know…Minho said something similar to what you said. You really are perfect for one another.”

        “M-me…?!” Jisung inquired, a stutter in his voice and his cheeks a dark red. Blutige chuckled at the other’s face, patting Jisung’s cheek lightly.

        “Yes, you. I can say with certainty that Minho sees you as more than a friend, and he wants to protect you. So please…no matter what he does, forgive him. He was forced to learn how to push everyone away, because people always died around him whenever they got too close. From what I know, it didn’t start just from the dark realm, but from before he got exiled. The dark blood inside of Minho makes him a target for all the demons, so until he gets rid of the dark blood, he cannot be with you, Jisungie.” Jisung felt his heart beat faster upon hearing Blutige’s words. He had mixed feelings about finally learning more about Minho’s past, although the strongest feeling was that of happiness. He was happy that he got to learn more about Minho.

        “Thank you for telling me all of that, Blutige. I…sort of understand Minho better know. I guess I love him too much to give up on him that easily.” Jisung felt a little shocked at the words that exited his mouth, although he knew them to be true.  Blutige smiled gently at him, recognizing the shock on the other’s face.

        “I won’t say a word to anyone, so don’t worry. I hope you two will get to be together in the end. I’m rooting for you.” Blutige cheered a little, raising her arms in front of her with her fists tightened and a determined look on her face. Jisung couldn’t help but laugh at the funny image. Blutige was, indeed, a great person. Jisung could see that now.

        They kept on talking for almost an hour, both about Minho and about themselves. Jisung couldn’t help but feel surprised with how many things he and Blutige had in common.

        When they met again with Jeongin and the others, they could see the change in dynamics between Blutige and Jisung. Hyunjin could feel a sense of happiness fill his body at the sight before him. He was more than certain that Jisung finally understood his words from a few weeks ago. They walked for a bit around the market, the guys sharing about what they’d seen whilst exploring Blutige’s home while Jisung listened intently, curious.

        “Blutige, I learned from someone that Jinyoung lives around here in the district. Is that true?” Jeongin inquired, looking up at Blutige. The other nodded, a thoughtful look on her face.

        “Yes, he does live here, close to the market, although I haven’t seen him from the end of September. He’s been gone ever since, although I don’t know where.” Jeongin’s face fell at that, all hope of finding the other again diminishing as the days passed. He _needed_ to find the other again. “Don’t worry Jeongin. I’ll keep an eye out for him and call you over when he comes back. I have Minho’s phone number so he can pass my message further.”

        “Hey, how about we all swap numbers too?” Jisung suggested, a small smile on his face. Blutige nodded and all of a sudden, a phone appeared in her hand. They were quick to swap numbers, the vibration of pads across the screen filling the silence around them. The sun slowly collapsing across the sky reminded Jisung and the others that they had a movie night to get back to and a homework to finish, so they bid farewell to Blutige, although Jeongin and Yedam had other thoughts and instead remained in the district for a bit longer, Jeongin saying that he wouldn’t be late for the movie.

****

       A few hours after Felix had gotten home from the course, he hadn’t expected his phoenix to act up. In the morning, he’d felt as if the energy from the candies would be enough to sooth his fire, but it wasn’t. He didn’t know how to calm his phoenix down before it woke up, and Jeongin wasn’t home to help calm him down. In fact, no one was. It dawned on Felix that the only other beings in the dorm with him currently were the pixies, Ginbu and himself. What was worse was that the family bond wouldn’t activate until the phoenix ignited.

        Reaching over for his phone, Felix quickly typed in a number and dialed, his breathing shortening a bit. He was glad at least someone that he knew was home. After almost three rings, the person on the other end responded.

        _‘Hello?’_

        “Minho? Could you please come over?” The line went dead in an instant, Minho easily figuring out that something was wrong from the way the other spoke. He got up from his desk in the office room and ran across the floor, knowing that Seungmin was out and that Changbin was at his shift. Felix threw the phone down onto his bed, eyes closing so he could focus on his breathing in an attempt to calm down.

        When he heard the front door open, he realized he never felt happier with forgetting to lock the door. Minho entered his room in a heartbeat, the door banging against the wall as he ran over to Felix. He could feel the powerful presence inside the room, although it wasn’t a demon so he couldn’t exactly pin-point what was going on.

        “Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Minho asked softly, his words clear as his hands rubbed soothingly over the other’s back. Felix nodded, his breathing still out of check. Minho noticed this and placed a hand on the other’s chin, straightening Felix’s head. “Come on, breathe with me. You’ll be fine.” Felix did as told and followed Minho’s breathing, the sound being the only thing that Felix could hear over the loud heartbeat in his ears. The charm against his throat vibrated.

        “The phoenix… it’s…acting up…” Felix managed to say though his short breaths. Minho tightened his hold on the other, eyebrows furrowing. He could feel a bit of panic blooming in his chest, but he pushed it away. Felix needed help, and fast.

        “Felix…I know it’s not quite legal…but…can I use a blood spell on you?” To his surprise, Felix nodded rapidly. The other noticed the wide eyes and the gaping mouth, making him lean into Minho and placed a hand over the one that was holding him.

        “I trust you, Minho.” Minho’s lungs stopped working for a few seconds, his breath catching in his throat. It’d been centuries since he last heard those words, and it felt good to hear them again. With a curt nod, Minho released Felix and reached for the charm around the other’s throat, untying it and taking it off. Felix felt the change almost instantly, his skin warming up and the tips of his fingers sparkling with energy as he shifted. Minho’s eyes widened, realizing that he had a short amount of time to act. Shocking Felix, the other reached up and pried Felix’s mouth open, his wrist coming into contact with Felix’s sharp canines. The skin tore open and blood came into contact with Felix’s tongue, his wide eyes flying over to Minho’s worried ones. He knew this was all part of the blood spell, so he drank the blood until Minho took his wrist out. He could feel the metallic tang that the blood left onto his tongue, although there was something sweet in it as well.

        Minho was quick to dip his fingers into the fresh wound, dragging out enough blood so he could paint a line around Felix’s neck. When the line was completed, Felix felt a shock go through his entire body, sending him into a coughing fit. _“I see through thee, I feel through thee, I bind thee with this chain and claim thou as locked.”_  The line around Felix’s throat tightened a little before it broke altogether, allowing him to breathe freely. Minho was breathing heavily, his eyes burning a bright azure color, other hand holding the injured one against his chest, the cuts closing quickly. Felix took in deep breaths, and once he could breathe freely again, he looked over to Minho, his eyes taking in the tired smile on his face. The phoenix lay dormant inside him, the tips of his fingers no longer sparkling with energy.

        Leaning over to the other, Felix hugged Minho tightly, mindful of the blood on the other’s wrist. To both of their luck, Minho had a larger black jacket over his loose white shirt, so it didn’t get dirty with blood. Only after Minho started to breathe normally again did Felix release his iron grip on the other.

        “Thank you Minho…you’re a life saver.” The soft mutter flew between them, Minho tightening his hand more around Felix before releasing him. He swiftly went into the bathroom to clean the blood from his freshly healed wound, while Felix dropped onto the bed on his back and tied his charm back around his throat, tongue swiping over his lips to clean off any blood that had remained. That sweet taste was there still, surprising him. The line around his throat had disappeared, erasing all the marks of what they’d done.

        When Minho exited the bathroom, Felix noticed how the other was dressed, with loose black pants and a white shirt, the black jacket hanging off his shoulder, round glasses pushed up on the bridge of his nose.

        “How’re you feeling?”

        “I’m fine. It’s dormant now, so it can’t act anymore. That blood spell that I did bound the phoenix, although I cannot say until when it’ll be bound.”

        “Could you teach me how to use my magic to calm down the phoenix? Or at least how to release my energy without using spells?”

        “I can teach you both if you want.” Minho’s smile was easy going as he sat down on the bed, hand pinching Felix’s side, making the other squirm with a shriek. Felix was rather ticklish, and he preferred that info to be kept a secret.

        “How can you perform such strong blood spells?”

        “Because I have dark blood in my system and because I was fascinated with blood spells when I was younger, so I learned how to use them. And don’t worry, just because I used my blood to make a spell on you, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be targeted by demons. The black blood that might’ve entered your system is already gone.”

        “I’m not worrying. I told you that I trust you, didn’t I? I meant it Minho.” Minho gulped when he saw the fierce gaze in the other’s eyes. “Now, instead of doubting yourself like that, how about we start with the spells. So, how do I control my magic without using a spell?”

        “Well, you just focus on your core and imagine as if a shield appears around it, tying it and stopping the magic and energy from flowing out. You could also think about blood and veins: if you severe a vein and leave the knife there completely still and sort of glued to the vein, the blood won’t flow but the pressure will grow until the blood can move freely again. That is your magic and the vein is the conduct. You just need to block that conduct and the phoenix won’t have what to feed on in case it goes rampage again.  Although it won’t work during a battle when you need to use energy so this is just as a precaution if something like what happened today happens again. Also, you’ll need to do lots of breathing exercises as well. We’ll do that soon enough.”

        “Can I try it now?”

        “I think you shouldn’t. I just placed that spell on you and I don’t know how you’ll affect it if you start to activate your energy now.” Felix nodded and pushed away the printed out symbols, grabbing a pillow from the bed so he could bury his face in it. Minho couldn’t help but look over the prints, his eyes widening with recognition. “Hey Felix, what’s up with those prints?”

        “Hmm? Oh, those…I found this weird entrance in our forest and I want to open the door, but almost all of the symbols are a dead end for me. I was bad at ancient language when I was little, and still am. Why? Can you translate it?”

        “I actually can…for the most part. Here, this says _‘If you speak out the name, then staircases will hail.’_ This rune over here means _‘powerless’_ and this one here… it should mean _’fire’._ ”

        “Wow! Minho, you’re awesome! Could you help me translate more?”

        “Of course kiddo.” That was how Jisung found the two when he got home from the Crimson Sea District. Separating from Hyunjin and Seungmin, who went over to Seungmin’s dorm, Jisung headed for his room when he heard Minho’s melodious laughter coming from Felix’s room. Frowning with a little smile on his face, he leaned against the doorframe and inched the door open little by little, taking in how Felix was laying on his stomach on the bed, upper body propped up on his elbows and eyes glaring into some papers, while Minho sat next to him with his legs crossed, two pages held in both his hands, his eyes going from one to the other.

        At the same time, they noticed Jisung’s presence, both glancing up and smiling at Jisung. Jisung couldn’t help but think that the scene before his eyes felt as natural as breathing and fighting to him. Minho looked so domestic it hurt Jisung’s heart and made it beat faster than anything else. They beckoned him over with wide grins, exclaiming that they were on the right path in discovering the meaning behind the runes.

        After Jisung took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Felix’s head, he grabbed the notebook in which Felix wrote the translations that they’d made.

        “ _If you speak out the name, then staircases will hail. The powerless ruler shall grow the fire to reach the hearth of the mystified lands…_ This is all that you discovered in just a few hours?” Minho and Felix nodded rapidly, their eyes glistening.

        “Minho helped me translate almost everything. As you well know, I was stuck on the first words, but Minho here translated everything out immediately.”

        “Hey, don’t praise me too much. We’re still not even half-way through and the runes seem to get harder and harder to decipher.”

        “I’m sure you did a great job until now.” Jisung spoke before he could fully think his words through, relishing in the blush that slowly started to cover Minho’s cheeks. He smiled warmly at the other, before leaning his entire weight against Felix’s body, making him groan. “Anyone desiring some tea?” He received two shouts of agreement, Minho especially giddy to taste some tea made by his mate.

****

        After they’d separated from Hyunjin, Jisung and Seungmin, Jeongin had dragged Yedam over to the now bustling with life market. Yedam was happy to oblige, walking closely to the other so they wouldn’t get lost in the masses of people. There were stalls for anything, from weaponry, to clothing and special herbs. Jeongin made sure to avoid Abhur Jaba’s stall, heeding to his older brother’s warnings. As they kept on passing through, Jeongin’s eyes fell upon a luminous stall filled with shining things. Amongst them lay five perfectly shaped sea shells, the strong magic vibrating around the stall and attracting Jeongin’s attention. He dragged the sangvine over to the stall, eyes not going away from the blue sea shell.

        He couldn’t help but remember their conversation about how he’d gone to the siren’s cave and couldn’t listen to their songs and how Yedam wished he could listen to them. Yedam’s dark eyes widened upon realizing what Jeongin wanted to do. His hand subconsciously gripped at the other’s shirt, fingers curling into it for support. Jeongin didn’t seem to notice as his focus was on the vendor, careful to strike the prefect bargain.

        “If you bring this plant back to life, I’ll give you the sea shell for free.” The vendor said at last, bringing forth a pot with a bushy type of plant with orange spiky flowers. Jeongin groaned internally, despite knowing that the plant was mostly used for medicine. He just couldn’t help but hate the smell that it oozed.

        Focusing on anything but the smell, Jeongin leaned closer to the plant and closed his eyes, lips parting with soft whispers. A low toned melody echoed around them, the notes seemingly flying into the petals and the leaves. Before their eyes, the plant seemed to grow back alive, the leaves recovering their green color and the spikes rising to stand tall onto the buds. Along with the restoration, the smell grew ten times stronger as well, making Jeongin shove the plant away and towards the vendor’s smiling face. Yedam had his nose tucked in his shirt, only now understanding why the other had been so reluctant to touch the plant.

        “Well, a deal’s a deal, so here, your sea shell.” The vendor handed the blue sea shell towards Jeongin, winking at him with a gentle smile. Jeongin nodded his thanks and tugged Yedam by his shirt to follow.

        “Come on. I’ll try to sing it, but I don’t know how good my water spells are. Let’s head towards the fountain.” Yedam nodded and dragged a hand through his dark locks, ruffling them. There wasn’t anyone around the fountain, giving them the privacy that they needed.

        Sitting down against the marble edge, Jeongin dragged the sea shell through the water. He could see luminous hands reach out from the water and brush the shell with their fingertips. He was certain that they belonged to the deceased mermaids that rested in the fountain. Keeping one hand inside the water and the other with the sea shell close to his mouth, Jeongin closed his eyes and started to softly blow into the shell. A trilling song erupted from it, although it was quite short and didn’t really resemble the songs of a mermaid. _Bring it to one of our brethren. They’ll unleash other songs._ The soft whispers from the fountain encouraged Jeongin, the gentle waves splashing against the white marble. With a small nod, Jeongin turned to look at Yedam.

        “We need to go back to the dorms and get Hyunjin. He’ll be able to sing for us more songs.” When Jeongin got up from the fountain, he was surprised to feel the younger’s arms go around him in a tight hug.

        “I’m really grateful to have a friend like you, I.N.” The new nickname and confession made Jeongin’s heart beat faster, hands going around the other on instinct. He couldn’t help but feel happy that the other felt comfortable around him at last and accepted that he wouldn’t be making fun of him like other fairies that he met.

        They walked hurriedly back to the dorms, hoping that Hyunjin wouldn’t be busy. Jeongin tried to tug at their bonds, but he was too far away for a weak emotion to pick up. Inside their dorm apartment, he found only Minho, Felix and Jisung, although upon talking with Jisung, Jeongin soon learned that Hyunjin was with Seungmin next door. Yedam had stayed outside while Jeongin went inside the check, so it surprised him when the other rushed past him and grabbed onto his wrist, making Yedam yelp and follow after the other’s brisk pacing.

        Without bothering to knock, Jeongin went into apartment 73, eyes searching for the two Fae. He found them in the living room, giggling over a series on the TV cuddled onto the couch. Hyunjin smiled when he saw Jeongin and Yedam, eyes inquiring what they were doing there.

        “Hyunjin, if it’s not too much to ask, could you please sing this to us?” Jeongin held up the blue sea shell, shocking both Hyunjin and Seungmin. Not only did the other get a sea shell, which was very expensive to buy, but he’d gotten a blue one. Usually, sea shells were white or pink, since they didn’t travel many oceans, but the darker the shell, the more it traveled and a blue color signaled that it’d gathered many songs over the course of its journey.

        “Of course I will. Come closer and settled down onto the couch.” Hyunjin ushered them over, hand reaching for the remote to turn off the TV. While he sat up on the back of the sofa, Seungmin huddled closer to his legs while Jeongin and Yedam sat on his other side on the couch, all three looking up at him in the silence. Hyunjin concentrated on his magic and felt his eyes dip into their sea blue, the light in them shining brighter than before. Closing his eyes, Hyunjin raised the sea shell up to his lips; he pressed them against the shell and started to softly blow air in. When the air entered the sea shell, the room dipped into a darker light, blue wind encircling them and illuminating the room. It remained around them as Hyunjin started to sing, the wind forming shapes in the air of sirens swimming through the water and dancing around the reefs, fish swimming across from them. A siren danced right in front of Jeongin, her colorful tail swinging blue dust in his face before swimming away to her sisters.

        Seungmin felt his body sway along with the wailed song, the higher tones in it making his body shiver. He felt enamored with the way Hyunjin sang using the sea shell. Despite the multiple siren voices that came out from the shell, he knew that it was Hyunjin making it all possible. Jeongin somehow felt as if he understood what the song was about, making his eyes tear up a little at the sad undertones. He could hear the desperate cries of sirens as they watched their earth brethren fight in the wars, the water-bound creatures useless in a war that was fought on land. They could only stare as their brothers and sisters were kidnaped from the land, cry as much as they could before the water brushed away their tears in a tender gesture. Jeongin tore himself away from the turmoil of emotions, feeling as if a sort of spell washed away from him and the song suddenly turned more melodious than sad. Glancing at his friend, Jeongin found Yedam with his eyes wide and glazed over, the irises painted a very light blue and tears flowing freely down his cheeks. One look at Seungmin, and Jeongin realized that the other’s eyes were the same, although he wore a look of longing rather than tears. Reaching over to the other’s hand, Jeongin laced his pinkie with Yedam’s in a silent promise that he was next to the other, remembering all about the other’s dark past and insecurities. The spell seemed to break almost as soon as Yedam squeezed Jeongin’s pinkie back, his eyes returning to a golden pale color, a weak smile painted on his lips.

        While the others experienced the music flowing through the room, Hyunjin experienced the turmoil of emotions that burst open from the sea shell almost as soon as he started singing. He could feel the siren’s pain as he sung, their happiness, their joy, their terror…he felt everything, from every single emotion to the last. He couldn’t help but smile through the tears that fell from his eyes, the clashing emotions within him confusing his heart.

        When the songs ended, they all opened their eyes, the pale blue light around the living room dying out along with the music. Hyunjin lowered the sea shell from his lips and look over at Jeongin and Yedam. The two looked a bit shaken up, both sporting wide smiles at having listened to the siren songs.

        They stayed around on the sofa for a bit more, talking about the upcoming movie night with glee, only for Jeongin to learn that Yedam couldn’t go with them because he had to meet up with his uncle that night all the way down town. Jeongin felt saddened by that, to say the least, a pout dragging his lower lip out. Yedam couldn’t leave Jeongin looking so sad, so he gathered the other in a warm hug, promising him that they’d go together somewhere else to make up for it.

        While Hyunjin saw the two out, Seungmin remained on the couch, silent after the songs had ended…or so Hyunjin thought. When he was about to turn around after twisting the lock on the door, Hyunjin felt strong arms sneak around his waist from behind in a back hug. The arms tightened around his waist, bringing Hyunjin’s back against a warm chest. Seungmin sighed a little, gluing his cheek to the other’s shoulder blade. Hyunjin was surprised at first by the other’s actions, but then he smiled fondly at Seungmin over his shoulder and ruffled the other’s soft locks.

        “What’s wrong?” He could feel Seungmin’s grip tightening around him, body pressing closer to his. He couldn’t help but notice just how warm the other’s body was.

        “Nothing’s wrong.” Seungmin himself had no idea why he suddenly felt the need to hug the other…to make sure that he was real.

****

        “Mr. Siege! My shift is done so I’m heading back to the staff room to change! Can you close the café?”

        “Sure Changbin, you go ahead!” Siege screamed from the kitchen where he was helping clean things out. Changbin threw the cloth into the washing basket after he was done wiping the tables and marble counter, before he headed to the staff room to change.

        Swinging his messenger bag on his shoulder, Changbin tied his shoelaces and quietly exited the staff room, looking around the kitchen for Siege so he could bid the other farewell. To his surprise, Siege was nowhere to be found, a metallic flask lying discarded on the kitchen counter. He knew that it wasn’t really professional, but his curiosity got the best of him, so Changbin walked over to the counter and grabbed the flask, twisting it a little to take a better look at the sculpted models. He raised it to his nose and took a whiff of the scent inside, instantly scrunching his nose a little. It didn’t smell like any tea, coffee, or juice that he knew. Instead, it smelled a bit off and metallic. The smell reminded Changbin of the butchery a few houses away from his own down the street.

        When he heard footsteps approaching, he used his memory and placed the flask exactly where he found it, before bolting out the kitchen before Siege found him there, alone, with the weird flask.

        “Good day, Mr. Siege!” Changbin shouted through the café hall, knowing that Siege would hear him. Trying to will away the thoughts circling back to the flask, Changbin focused on the road ahead of him, jumping when he noticed Felix leaning against the brick wall of a nearby house, apparently waiting for someone. He was dressed casually with a pair of white jeans and a champagne colored loose sweater and… _who allowed Felix to wear a simple black chocker?!_

Hiding behind a nearby building, Changbin watched as Felix kept on waiting, leaning against the building with his back, right leg propped comfortably against the wall and arms crossed over his chest. He looked really…strong like that. Not that Changbin didn’t believe the other to be really strong, but believing and seeing were two different things.

        When he blinked, Felix was gone from that spot. Changbin’s eyes widened, thinking that he’d been imagining everything, when a strong hand landed on his back, making him jump and grasp tightly onto his bag. Felix chuckled lowly, hand resting against the wall next to Changbin’s head. The other could do nothing but chuckle awkwardly at having been caught.

        “So…binnie…what are you doing here? Hmm?”

        “Well… I….uhmm…I was looking at the architecture. Yeah!” Felix didn’t look really convinced although he moved from the wall, nodding his head towards the road.

        “Come on, let’s go home. It’s almost time for the others to appear as well.”

        “But weren’t you waiting for someone?”

        “Hha! So you _were_ staring at me!”

        “I wasn’t! I just happened to pass by across a building that had perfect view of you so I got curious about what you were doing- Fine! I was staring at you. There!” Felix started to laugh, pinching Changbin’s cheeks and stretching them widely. The other mumbled something but it fell on deaf ears as Felix grabbed the other’s hand and interlocked their fingers, dragging him back towards the university.

        “I was waiting for you, you baby.” Changbin flushed a deep red, although he didn’t have any comeback for that so he remained silent, making Felix grin widely when the other wasn’t looking.

****

        After everyone gathered over, the 77 apartment door was locked shut, the keys jiggling as they were turned in the lock. Chan made sure to turn the volume up on their speakers, glad that their walls were almost soundproof. Well…if you didn’t take into account the gaping hole between Felix’s and Hyunjin’s room. It worried Chan whenever he found the two talking through the hole, both Felix and Hyunjin leaning against the wall so they could hear better. They no longer needed to shout through the house for the other.

        Chan really needed to fix that hole, one way or another.

        Hearing a shout from the kitchen, Chan hurried over, eyes wide and hands ready to save anyone in case something happened. He stopped abruptly in the door frame, eyes taking in the sight before him. A kitten was resting on the counter, curled tail flapping around the drawer knobs. Seungmin was leaning against the wall, eyes fixed onto the cat.

        “What’s wrong?”

        “I didn’t know you guys had a cat…”

        “We don’t? Why, are you allergic?”

        “Cats hate me. But…what do you mean by you don’t? I’m not seeing things right?”

        “No Skyger, you’re not seeing things.” The cat leaped from the counter and onto Seungmin, claws catching around the strings of Seungmin’s hoodie. Seungmin shrieked and leaned more against the wall, trying to distance himself from the kitten. “My name is Ginbu, and I’m a Hubblegub hobgoblin that live with these guys. Any problem with that?” Ginbu frowned at Seungmin the best he could in  his kitten form, before Chan interfered and hugged Ginbu away from Seungmin.

        “Seungmin, sorry for that, but we forced Ginbu to take on this shape so it wouldn’t stand out too much for Changbin, and obviously this little guys didn’t take it too well. He’s harmless, honestly.”

        “I’ll show you harmless!” Ginbu mrowed, trying to escaped Chan’s hands, when the other leaned his forehead against Ginbu’s fur and nuzzle it, making Ginbu unwillingly purr. Seungmin chuckled at the way Ginbu turned absolutely into jelly at Chan’s affections.

      “Seungmin, what are you doing alone in the living room?”

        “Well, we only need to make the popcorn and then we’re ready for the movie so I thought I could make it while the others fight over the movie since I’m fine with anything.” Seungmin shrugged and reached into the upper cabinet to search for the dried corn kernel package. After Chan dropped Ginbu onto the ground, he was surprised to see him saunter over to Seungmin and into the cabinet, pawing the package out from the top shelf. Seungmin thanked Ginbu and started to work on the popcorn, the Hubblegub hanging around to make sure the other didn’t need anything. Ginbu sure had changed over the course of the last two months, becoming more adoring with them and…more tolerable, Chan would say.

        In the living room, the coffee table had been moved out of the way, blankets and pillows filling the space between the large TV and the couch. Changbin, Felix, Minho, Jisung, Hyunjin, Jeongin and Woojin were all waiting for the popcorn, two movies spread out on the blankets. It seemed as if they were arguing about something.

        “I say we watch a rom-com. It’s been a while since we’ve seen one and I don’t really want to see a horror movie now.” Hyunjin spoke, leaning more against the sofa.

        “Well I say we watch a horror and then the rom-com to sleep better after.” Changbin retorted, a pout on his lips. Chan sat down in between them and raised both of his hand.

        “Those pro for rom-com.” Jeongin, Minho, Hyunjin and Woojin raised their arms. “Those for horror.” Felix, Changbin, himself and Jisung rose their hands up. “We’ll, I guess we’re even. Seungmin! Chose! Horror or Rom-Com?!”

        “Rom-com!” Those that were on the same side cheered, while the others pouted, curling underneath the blankets like kittens. Felix couldn’t contain himself from bopping Changbin’s nose, giggling when the other scrunched it up the same way a kitten would’ve.

        They all rolled under the blankets as soon as Seungmin arrived with the popcorn and spread it out to everyone in big soft cardboard buckets. He settled down against Hyunjin’s side and grabbed the remote, hitting the green play button.

        Half-way into the movie, almost everyone was deep in slumber, the warmth around them and the soft plot of the story lulling them to sleep. Felix had fallen asleep with his head against the couch cushion, a blanket half-way raised over his body by Changbin.

        Seeing this as a good opportunity, Changbin grabbed the remote and ejected the disk, swapping it with the horror movie one. He hit the play button and settled back down, enjoying the first half of the movie in complete silence and darkness. At one point, Jisung had woken up, had taken a look at what was on that screen, and then fell asleep just as fast, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was typical of Changbin to do just that after they all fell asleep.

        What Changbin did not expect to happen was Felix moving around in his sleep and opening his eyes wide enough to see the sudden face of a horrendous demon appear on the screen. He jolted completely awake at that moment, mouth opening to scream, but a sudden hand covering it stopped him from doing so, that hand dragging him closer to a warm body. He looked up to see Changbin’s gleeful and very awake eyes, then he looked at the TV, and connected the dots.

        “Are you crazy?!” Felix whisper-shouted, hitting Changbin in the shoulder, although not too hard. Changbin laughed and placed a hand on the other’s cheek, staring in the other’s eyes.

        “Only for you~” Felix huffed at that, cheeks turning a darker red in the darkness, although Changbin managed to somehow see it all. He felt the urge to laugh at the look on the other’s face, although he didn’t want to wake the others up. Felix sighed and lowered his body more against the blankets, surprising Changbin when he opted to rest his head on his shoulder and cuddle into his side. It wasn’t as if they didn’t do that often, but this time it felt…different, more special in a way. Changbin took his arm out and settled it over the other’s waist, tugging him more against his chest and bringing the blanket up over the other’s back. Changbin exhaled slowly, eyes turning back towards the TV. Felix followed his gaze and settled for watching the movie, or at least trying to. There were too many flashes, and he’d lost half of the story, so he didn’t really understand what was happening, but when another demon appeared on the screen, he scrunched his eyes shut. He still wasn’t awake enough to process that the things on the screen weren’t real. Changbin, seeing the other react like that, tightened his arms around Felix’s waist and muttered softly into the other’s ear.

        “I’m right here and the movie isn’t real, so I’ll protect you, yeah? Now go to sleep and don’t worry. Baby binnie will make sure that you have sweet dreams.” Changbin pressed the tinniest kisses on the other’s forehead, before looking back up at the screen. Felix couldn’t help but think that yes, those demons are real and they look far more ugly…but against those from the screen, Changbin can surely protect him.

****

        During the night, at some point, Jisung woke up again. The movie was playing the main theme on repeat, while everyone else was completely knocked out. Jisung looked around, smiling a little when he noticed that Felix was cuddling up to Changbin, his head on the other’s chest underneath his chin, arm strewn across his waist, while Changbin was holding the other in his arms. Woojin and Chan were cuddled close together as well next to them, with Jeongin leaning against Woojin’s side and sharing his pillow. Hyunjin and Seungmin were next to him and Minho, although he could clearly see that the two were holding hands, their fingers interlocked.

        Sighing softly, Jisung got up from the bundled up blankets and headed for the kitchen, his dry throat screaming for a glass of water. He walked sluggishly over to the door and opened the hall light, not even bothering to open the kitchen one. He didn’t need more light to burn his sensitive eyes right now.

        Fumbling around the kitchen, he managed to pour himself a glass of water and drink half of it, when he heard sounds coming from the hall. He didn’t pay any attention, thinking that maybe it was someone that woke up to go to the bathroom. He soon regretted not doing so when a warm chest collided with his back and hands curled around his waist, shocking the heart out of him. He would’ve dropped the glass of water, if it’d been in his hands. Jisung could instantly tell that it was Minho from the scent, although it worried him when he sensed that the other was somewhat trembling. He could feel the other’s hot breath on his neck, sending shivers across his skin.

        “Minho?” He whispered inquiringly, but his only result was the arms tightening around. Jisung could feel the other’s rapid heartbeat against his back, the irregular breathing and the sizzling magic around Minho as a whole. It reminded him of when he used to have night terrors. “Minho, did you have a nightmare?” He felt the slightest of nods against his shoulder, making him heave a silent sigh. Hyunjin’s and Blutige’s words came into his mind against, making him give in to Minho’s warmth, leaning against the other’s embrace and placing his hands over the ones holding him. Minho sensed this and buried his nose deeper into the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply, fingers curling around Jisung’s nightshirt at the strong scent that invaded his lungs and calmed him down more.

        “It was just a nightmare, it wasn’t real and it won’t become real. So let’s get back to the living room and go to sleep, yeah?” When Minho still didn’t move, Jisung smiled a little, actually enjoying the other’s warmth. “We can cuddle if that makes you feel better.” At this, Minho moved over to the door, one hand remaining around Jisung’s waist to drag him after. Jisung almost giggled, leaning against the hand and following the other to the living room.

        Once they settled down, it surprised Jisung that Minho insisted he lay with his ear on the other’s chest. It wasn’t until Minho told Jisung that the nightmare was about him, that he understood why the other was so worried. He’d probably dreamt of him getting killed and if the fact that he followed him into the kitchen scared like that wasn’t proof enough, the fact that he was listening to his heartbeat as he fell asleep was.

****

        The light shone brightly inside the room, illuminating every single crevice of it. A girl lay in the middle of her bed, reading a book upside down, her legs dangling, off, wings curled around her so she wouldn’t knock anything down while she twisted around the sheets.

        The door to the room opened with a small creak, surprising the girl and interrupting her from her reading. Olivia looked up to see her sister carrying a tray filled with biscuits and two teacups.

        “Rachel!” The girl exclaimed, her blue eyes lighting up when she spotted her favorite biscuits on the tray. Her hands reached forward and stole a biscuit from the tray, grinning victoriously at her sister’s delayed reaction.

        “I see you’re doing much better now.” Rachel muttered with a smile, blowing air in front of her to get rid of the annoying fringe that just had to fall into her eyes. Olivia laughed and reached towards her, fingers curling around the locks to place them behind her ear. Hether flew up from beside Olivia’s abandoned book and into Rachel’s face, grinning widely, his blue eyes glinting with mischief in the warm sun. His white locks were braided and tied with a blue tie at the back of his head. He was wearing a white robe over his black clothes, the colors clashing beautifully.

      “I am feeling much better. Please, come in and sit down.” Olivia spoke softly, turning around to push her sister into the room while she closed the door with her right wing. She followed  Rachel to the bed and sat down next to her, the tray between then and Hether on Olivia’s head.

        Olivia had brilliant blue orbs and, true to her name, olive colored hair. She’d also inherited the infamous freckles that seemed to run in the family.

        Hether giggled all of a sudden and fluttered his wings over Olivia’s face, making her freckles light up like a galaxy. She groaned, chasing the pixie around the air with her hands, and when Hether tried to escape from her clutches, she caught him with her wing, holding him there steadily. Hether struggled for only a bit before he huffed and ceased all attempts at escaping. Rachel watched the interaction with amused eyes, before they glanced over to Olivia’s freckles. It reminded her too much of how Shiaj and Felix used to play around.

        “Hey Olivia…do you think Felix, Chan and the others are safe?” She spoke in a soft voice, her blood red wings curling around her body and shivering with her unease, the feathers ruffling a little. Olivia reached over and patted Rachel on the head, trying to reassure her sister.

        “How about we go pray for them. Would that make you feel better?”

        “Yeah. But please keep close to me. I don’t want you to be in danger again. You’ve just healed.”

        “I’ll be fine. I have Hether with me and he can heal me anytime. Right Hether?” Hether saluted both sister, a wide grin splitting his lips. They laughed, Olivia’s wings unwillingly curling around them to shield them from the outer world. It was a habit that she developed whenever Felix was too shy to speak around other’s when they were younger; she would curl her wings around them, creating a safe cocoon for them both.

        Eating the biscuits and drinking the tea as fast as possible, the girls headed out to visit Grühlhfir, taking the shortest path there. Since Olivia was still recuperating, she wasn’t allowed to fly, so she had to walk the entire distance there. It was a long road, but on trained legs like theirs, they reached the tree in half the time. When they got there, Olivia stopped to glance up at the tree again, taking in the trunk that looked a lot like a female body, frozen in time underneath wood, the silver and golden leaves covering her head as if it were her tresses. Olivia couldn’t help but believe the little story that she was told by her grandfather about the deity that sacrificed her life to ensure that the Fairy Realm would live on. She’d given up all of her energy to expand the world, in the end becoming the very tree that sat at the base of all life, Grühlhfir. They could see ornaments hanging from the branches, the leaves expanding like a sort of curtain over the other trees, the sunlight filtering in through the gaps that the leaves created. Olivia outstretched her hand from the darkness and into a patch of light, watching as her skin glowed into the sunlight. She smiled and turned her attention back to her sister, grabbing her hand and heading over to the waters that sat at the foot of the tree. Taking a deep breath, Olivia embraced her body with her wings, and when they expanded again, she was wearing a pale golden short dress that would allow her to enter the pond without getting her clothes wet. Rachel did the same, a pale red dress hanging loosely on her body. They walked hand in hand into the pond, smiling at the other fairies that were already there to pray.

        Olivia raised both of her hands, palms brought together, and pressed them against her forehead, her golden wings bending around her body so she could pray in silence, the feathers blocking any other sound.

        She would’ve stayed there for hours upon hours, feeling the soft waves hitting her shins, the energy flowing through the water, the moist earth underneath her toes, the whispers and murmurs of the surrounding Fae that were praying as well, the scent of grass and pixie dust…It came as a wake-up call when a hand tapped her on the back, silently asking her to remove her wings and step out of the water. She’d thought that it was her sister, only to discover that it was their father. He smiled at his daughters, glad that they were out praying instead of at home, but worried at the same time in case a demon stumbled over them on the road there.

        “Rachel, Olivia, it’s nice to see you out praying. I hope I wasn’t interrupting.”

        “No father, we were just finishing. Did the commanders find out more about the gate-hole and about the hidden camp?” Rachel inquired, a hand rising up to take off the jewelry that rested on the top of her head.

        “They learned that the gate-hole can be closed, and have pushed all of the demons back through it for now. Well, we hope they pushed all of them away. We cannot be certain until one of the elders scans the lands again in a few days. The elders are currently thinking of a way to stop the gate-hole from getting bigger.” Rachel’s eyes darkened, her lips almost opening in a snarl.

      “The elders won’t do shit. If we don’t act, all Fae are lost.”

        “Shush, don’t speak like that. It’s not safe.” Her father walked closer to her and grabbed her forearm with worry, eyes looking around for potential spies.

        “I don’t care if they hear me.”

        “Think about what Felix would want for you. He’d want you to be safe-“

        “We’ll he isn’t here! And that’s because of them!” Without sparing a second glance, Rachel rushed away from the sounds of prayers and of flowing water, tears clouding her sight. Olivia brushed her father on the shoulder before running after Rachel with the promise that she’d calm her down and bring her safely back home.


	28. Growl, Feathers and Honey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya wassup!~ So, this is the first part of the Halloween chapter, and the second part will come up in the morning^^ Enjoy!~~~

         The living room was silent, apart from the soft breathing of the sleeping Fae lying on the ground in front of the closed TV. The once carefully laid down blankets were now tangled up completely with limbs, and honestly, no one could tell under the mess where a body began and where it ended.

         There was no light outside yet, signaling that it was still way too early for anyone to be up. Despite that, a person sat wide awake with their back against the couch, a body curled around them with a hand against the other’s stomach, fingers lightly grasping at the soft fabric in their sleep. The body shifted, face snuggling deeper into the warmth that would soon be gone when the other would get up.

         Minho kept on watching as Jisung sought his warmth in his sleep, cheek pressing snuggly against his chest where his heart was. Minho would’ve loved to remain there for longer, but the time to train with Changbin was drawing closer by the second. Sure, they should’ve skipped at least a day to rest after they started training, but Minho couldn’t help but worry that even an hour missed from their training would endanger Changbin and make him a prey for the demons. He wanted the other to be a predator, just like himself.

         Sighing to himself, Minho maneuvered around Jisung’s body, careful to settle the other’s head on a pillow as he got up from the mess of blankets, fond eyes taking in Jisung’s peaceful face.

         He didn’t take into account just how tangled up the blankets were, so when he tried to take a step outside, he felt his ankle get caught into them, making him stagger. There was nothing that could stop him from falling over Hyunjin and Seungmin, but as the inevitable almost happened, a rope appeared from the ceiling and Minho clung to it desperately, breathing as quietly as he could when he realized that he hadn’t fallen over them and that he was still on his own feet, although at an odd angle. Chan shifted a little, but then he went straight back to sleep, making Minho sigh in relief.

         Looking around, Minho didn’t see anything from where the rope could’ve appeared…or someone that could’ve made it appear. He stuck his feet harder into the floor and moved backwards, away from his sleeping friends and towards the doorframe where he could at least see the floor.

         A swirl of color passed by his eyes, making them go a bit crossed. Minho froze exactly where he was, eyes slowing following in the direction of the colorful dress that had flown in front of him. Off to the side, he found Lila swinging from two tiny ropes that were curled around her hands, a wild grin on her face. Upon realizing at whom he was staring, he started to smile, thankful for her interference. Lila simply nodded and signaled towards Changbin, as if to say _go wake him now._

         Acting like a true ninja again, Minho passed over the lumps underneath the blankets and walked all the way over to the end of the couch, where Changbin was deep in slumber on his side, Felix glued completely to his back. Minho knew the other was a quite light sleeper at times, so he hoped this might be one of those as he crouched down and lightly tapped Changbin’s cheek, not even daring to whisper with so many sensitive ears around.

         Upon a second tap and a pinch on the other’s neck, Changbin scrunched open his eyes, relaxing when there was no sunlight in the room as he’d expected. His sight was still blurry as he looked around, not moving an inch, although he could somehow feel that it was Minho crouching down in front of him. He sighed when he realized that the other didn’t want them to have a day off today either, meaning they had to go train again. Changbin still felt his muscles ache, although they’d stopped going sore after the first week of their training.

         When Minho was certain the other was seeing everything clearly, he nodded his head towards the door and mouthed _going to change, meet you out,_ before leaving just as quietly as before. Changbin groaned internally, really wanting to just stay in and sleep. The more he woke up, the more he realized the way Felix was cuddling him: his chest was plastered against his back, hand curled around his waist and face hidden between the his shoulder blades. It all felt so…natural, that it made Changbin want all of his mornings to start as beautifully as that. The though both intrigued him and scared him a little at the same time. No matter how much time they spent together, how many movie nights they cuddled up, when they held hands and hugged each other out of nowhere, Changbin still couldn’t figure out for sure that the other liked him more than a close friend. Chan and the others had whispered many times in his ear that Felix likes him more than just a friend, but he just couldn’t see how they were so sure. Of course, he never managed to see the other look at him with eyes full of adoration, with a small fond smile on his face whenever the other did something cute and afterwards complained, or when they played games and Changbin would lose, making him a pouty mess.

         Reluctantly, Changbin started to twist around in the other’s arms, trying to somehow slither away from them without waking the other. He managed to get up on his rear, his back against the couch and Felix’s arms around his waist. Changbin’s breath got caught in his throat when the other moved a little in his sleep, arms going off from around Changbin’s waist to twist them close to his chest, face pressing into Changbin side, seeking for more warmth. Changbin had to bite his tongue so he wouldn’t giggle at the sudden ticklish area near his side where Felix had tickled him. He remained still for a few minutes more before finally trying to get away from him again. With luck, this time he was able to maneuver the other back onto the covered floor and soft pillow, tugging the blanket up to his neck. Almost on instinct, Felix curled more around the blanket and buried his nose into the soft material, inhaling softly before a content smile appeared on his face. Changbin couldn’t help but smile at the other’s cuteness, drawing closer just enough so he could place his lips atop the mop of blond hair, before he was out the door. From the top of the couch, Lila watched as he left, her muscles relaxing, knowing that the other was safe with Minho. He’d proven his worth, just like she’d asked, by agreeing to train Changbin without a question.

         The hall felt chillier than their room had, the last day before October would end and November would begin bringing in the harsh coldness before winter arrived. Despite being on the smaller dorm hall, with about three walls between himself and the veranda, Changbin could hear the soft drip-drop of the rain, could sense the way the water soaked into the ground…it felt so strange to him. Shaking his head, he reached for the doorknob, twisting it and stepping inside his apartment. He could hear the shower still running from Minho’s room, so he decided it would be a good idea to take one as well.

        Back inside his own room, Minho had been long done with his shower. He’d been so focused on the swirling pattern on his neck, so concentrated with it, that he’d forgotten to close it. Moving his fingers gingerly over the pattern, he could still feel it throb painfully whenever he remembered the nightmare from last night. It was just his own panic, since he knew Jisung was more than protected by his family and that what he’d dreamt would never happen, but he couldn’t stop from worrying.

        The weather outside had been just as bad as Changbin had predicted, although the rain had stopped by the time they were both dressed in their training clothing. With a slight shiver passing over his lips and skin, Minho scurried over to the steps and down to the door, key slipping a little over the lock. The door groaned as it was opened, even more so due to the humidity in the air. They could both smell the scent of fresh earth after a rain, the heightened smell of the grass and of wet wood. Inside the gym room, the air was a lot warmer than outside, Minho hurrying to close the door so it would stay like that.

        Doing a little bit of warm-up before jumping into it, the boys stretched onto the blue mattresses, Minho always stressing out on how important it was for the other to be flexible during a battle. Changbin had managed to almost even do a split after the harsh training Minho had put him through.

        Discarding over to the side their sport jackets, the pushed away the mattresses and walked over to the center of the room. To Changbin’s surprise, the other didn’t attack him from behind or anything like other times, although he was still paying close attention, his guard raised. Flexing his hands a little and stretching them, Minho tucked his black t-shirt into his sweat pants before grinning at Changbin, telling him to do the same.

        “Today, we’re going to fight for real. No slips, no fair fight. And if you hit any vital point, you win. If you fall to the ground, you lose. Now, just use everything I taught you until now.” Minho allowed Changbin to start the fight, wanting the other to feel ready even though the enemy wouldn’t wait for something like that. Changbin went in for a straight hit into the chest, sending Minho a few feet backwards, but it was as if the other was dancing on clouds, instantly springing back on his feet and running over to the other, fist raised to nick him over the jaw, but Changbin was faster this time, pressing his palm against the fist and turning around, evading the hit and pressing his back against Minho. With skilled moves, Changbin trapped the other’s arm and then pushed with his shoulder against Minho.

        The other almost staggered and fell, but with a leg pressed against Changbin’s knee, he forced the other to release him in order to regain balance. Without wasting the opportunity, Minho raised his fists and then started to send hits towards the other’s face while Changbin rose his forearms up to protect himself. When Minho tried to hit the other into the side, Changbin fell for it and went to grab at his hand, but then another hit managed to get to his neck, cutting his breathing short for a few seconds. Changbin instantly rolled away, legs planting into the floor as Minho ran back after him, stance strong and attentive.

        From his crouched position, Changbin leaned onto his right arm and swiped his left leg towards Minho’s legs, effectively tripping him while he tumbled out of the way. To his surprise, Minho dropped down into a roll in the last moment, landing like a feline on the floor. Changbin’s eyes widened when he saw the other’s amused and provoking eyes.

        With a growl, Minho leaped over to the other from his crouching position, hands outstretched to grab at him. Changbin did nothing but duck to the side, hand outstretched to grab Minho around the waist, other hand falling over Minho’s outstretched hands and trapping them against his body. Minho laughed, and Changbin finally thought that he got him, when the other dropped forwards a bit before banging his head against Changbin’s, making him drop his arms from around his body and stagger, the sharp pain going through his body like a bolt.

        Minho turned around to look at Changbin, and through Changbin’s scrunched up eyes, he though he saw something azure before he disappeared from before him, making him turn around quickly, hands outstretched to block anything and everything. Minho felt adrenaline course through his body as he saw Changbin’s eyes darken a little, almost as if he wanted to shift but couldn’t because of the seal.

        With a low growl that not even Changbin knew where it came from, he lunged at Minho and side stepped around his body, faster than Minho could process completely, hands bringing the other in a headlock and knocking him into the ground, all oxygen leaves his lungs. Minho laid there on the ground for a solid minute, dizzy from everything, while Changbin started panicking that he used too much force and did something to the other.  When Minho could see better, already feeling the bruises on his body form and heal, he started to laugh at the lost expression on the other’s face, at the panic in the other’s eyes. Changbin hit him in the shoulder, saying that it wasn’t funny, before quickly apologizing when the other groaned in pain.

        “That was really good back there, y’know?” Minho said as soon as he sat down on the blue mattress, t-shirt thrown next to him and almost dripping sweat, his hair ruffled up. Changbin looked up at the other in surprise, taking notice of the red line around the other’s throat and the very few bruises that he had. Surprisingly, he bruised far easier than Minho did, for some reason.

        “Really?”

        “Yeah! You went in for the neck from the back and then didn’t give me another occasion to headbutt you, so that was really good! You’re one of my best students so far.”

        “Well, that’s relieving to hear.” Changbin retorted, dropping down onto the mattress and staring up at the ceiling, still feeling his head pound a little from the fight.

        “Don’t get too comfy, we’re not done yet. We still need to do something else today.”

        “What?”

        “Breathing exercises.” Minho could still remember how Felix had inquired from him yesterday to teach him how to breathe properly so he could control himself better, thus he couldn’t help but think that breathing exercises would come in really handy for when the seal broke.

        “Alright, those sound interesting?”

        “You’ll hate them.”

        “Okay.”

****

        When Felix woke up, he stared around for a few seconds before finally realizing that, despite the blankets still wearing Changbin’s scent, the other was nowhere near him. He sat up straight, rapidly looking around, since he couldn’t sense his presence either, when a hand settled over his shoulder from behind. Felix jumped and turned around, breathing in relief when he found Jisung crouching next to him with a bright smile.

        “Morning, Fe. Slept well?”

        “Morning…Yeah, I did.” Felix could almost feel the other half of Jisung’s sentence, making him blush a little. _Slept well next to Changbin?_ The other was way too sneaky to let that tease material slip away from him.

       “Anyways, you’re the first one to wake up. Now come on, Minho and Changbin are supposed to come back from the grocery store with our breakfast.”

       “Really? That’s so nice of them. Oh, did Jihoon pass by?”

        “He did and it was way too early for any normal person to be up. He was lucky I was awake. The papers are on the kitchen table. I left them there for you for when you woke up. Something about microphones and a set-up for a stage?”

        “Oh yeah, Seungcheol had said that he wanted to rap for us during the get-together, so we agreed to set up a sort of stage for him. Who knows, maybe you, Chan and Changbin will sing as well.” Jisung nodded, although it was half-assed, hands traveling across Felix’s back soothingly. The others were still deep in sleep, despite the first signs of the sun peeking out. Grabbing the remote, Jisung turned on the TV and switched to a news program, hoping that the sound would be sufficient enough to wake them up.

        Felix got up, staggering a little through the blankets, and headed for the kitchen, dropping down into one of the wooden chairs, blond locks falling into his eyes. With a sigh, he leaned into the chair more and dragged his fingers through his locks, gripping at them while closing his eyes. He honestly had no idea what he was doing up so early. And what Changbin and Minho were doing up so early.

        When he heard the front door opening, Felix jumped in his seat and grabbed onto the papers, skimming through them, not wanting Jihoon, in case it was him, to scold him again for not doing his job. The prices were okay, the mic specifications seemed to be in check, the stage set-up was good too…

        “Mornin!” Felix looked up when he saw Minho come into the kitchen with two plastic bags, smile wide as he greeted him. Felix barely managed a sleepy smile, leaning into his hand so he wouldn’t just drop his head onto the table.

        “Minho, you started the stove, I’ll be right back.” Changbin spoke from the doorframe, and when Felix turned around in his seat, he found Changbin hanging in the doorframe, hand plastered on each side of it and body leaned forwards a little, as if he was peeking in. Their eyes met, and Felix couldn’t help but wonder if the other got taller or if something changed in his disposition. When Changbin smiled warmly at him, Felix turned around with a barely audible squeak, eyes wide and looking straight at the papers as if they were the most important thing in Felix’s life. With a laugh, Changbin pushed himself away from the doorway and walked out towards the living room to grab his phone, before he left back to his apartment to get the spices that they needed.

        Half an hour later, everyone was awake and in the kitchen, some still dozing off a little, like Jeongin, while Minho and Changbin fussed around the counters, preparing the breakfast. The doorbell rung, making Felix start to get up, thinking that it was Jihoon this time, but Chan was closer to the doorway so he leapt up from his chair and out the door, making Felix sigh and sit back down with a roll of his eyes, Hyunjin laughing next to him.

        Chan fumbled with the look for a bit before he managed to get the door opened. Jihyo was, surprisingly, the one behind the ringing, her hair caught in a messy bun, black dress loosely hanging off her figure.

        “Hey, just the one I was looking for! If you have some time, we need your help with the speakers…they’re not working and we think it might be something off on the technical side.”

        “Of course I’ll come, lead the-“

        “Bang Chan Chris, get back in here for breakfast or else I’m dragging your ass down!” Changbin shouted from the kitchen doorframe, one hand waving a spatula at him and the other supporting his inclined body so he wouldn’t fall. His eyes were serious, telling Chan that he wasn’t joking. Felix, who’d perked up when he heard Jihyo’s voice, got up from his seat and leaned from the doorframe behind Changbin a bit, his body more inclined so he could actually see Chan and Jihyo.

        “Jihyo! Morning! Come in and have breakfast with us too!”

        “Ah no, I don’t want to disturb you, plus I need to deal with something-“

        “Come on, I know you. You didn’t eat yet, I’m certain of that, and you need to.” She couldn’t really argue with that, so in the end, she sighed and pushed Chan into the apartment when he tried to convince her that they could still go so they could finish faster. Jihyo knew that Chan was just like her, so he wouldn’t be eating till he saw everything finished either, which was bad. Plus, Felix was compelling with his words, so she couldn’t really say no. She knew Chan couldn’t either.

        “Do you think Changbin actually heard what they were talking about or did he just insinuate that Chan would instantly go to work if something happened?” Hyunjin inquired silently from next to Seungmin, leaning in a bit so the other’s, meaning Changbin, wouldn’t hear.

        “Well, Changbin isn’t like…you know…so he couldn’t have heard. Maybe he just knows Chan that well?” Hyunjin laughed, the answer obviously being something he’d expected. One look at Changbin and he couldn’t help but wonder how the other would look shifted into a Fae like them. He couldn’t help but think that he would be a rather strong one, despite his height.

        Going back into the kitchen after making sure that Chan and Jihyo would be joining for breakfast, Changbin headed back to the stove and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that the pancake hadn’t been burned while he was away, Felix bringing in a spare chair for the vice-president. Jihyo thanked him and sat down next to Woojin. Chan took his seat back between Jeongin and Seungmin, pouting.

        “Oh, stop pouting, you big baby.” Woojin said, relishing in the way the other’s cheeks bloomed a red color. Chan stared at him for a bit more before he hid his face in his forearms, making those around the table start laughing. “Oh, and by difficulties with the speakers, what did you mean?” Woojin asked as soon as the laughter died down, looking at Jihyo.

        “The speakers give off this weird buzzing sound when we play music on them, and almost as soon as we move the speaker, the sound gets even more blurred out and then it dies down. I would’ve opened the back up to check the wires but I’m afraid I would break something without knowing exactly how to open it up. That’s why we thought that maybe Chan had an idea on how to repair them.”

        “I…don’t, if I’m being honest. Though Woojin does.”

        “You do?” Woojin threw a side-glance at Chan, knowing that the other enjoyed bragging with what his mate knew. Chan grinned and threw a wink his way, making Woojin turn back to look at Jihyo, ignoring his mate on purpose.

        “I took a few courses on tinkering stuff when I was younger, so I do know how to open speakers up. Although, I’ll need some tools to get the job done.”

        “Of course! Anything you need! Thank you so much for helping us out.” Jihyo beamed up at the older, smiling widely and feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of her chest.

        “Now you feel more relaxed?” Felix inquired, leaning into his elbow on the table, eyes peering into hers.

        “Yeah, I do.” Felix jumped when he felt something pinching his side, and when he looked up, he saw Changbin passing by the table to reach a top cabinet where they kept pepper. Hyunjin paid half of his attention to the now attentive Felix, following the way he seemed to turn around almost as soon as Changbin closed the cabinet door. When the other passed by his side, Felix sneaked a hand behind his chair, ready to pinch the other back, when Hyunjin shouted all of a sudden a loud _Hwaaaaa!_ and pinched the both of them in their sides, making them shriek and squirm, Changbin holding onto the pepper bottle tightly so the powder wouldn’t fly everywhere.

        Felix plastered his palms against his cheeks, hoping the blush wasn’t too visible, while Changbin did everything he could to hide his face in his turned up sweater collar, fast steps carrying him over to Minho’s side as they added the finishing touches to the food.

        With a satisfied smile on his face, Hyunjin turned to sit normally in his chair, hands clasped in front of him as if he’d done nothing. Jisung fist bumped with him from across the table, smiling when he felt Felix’s betrayed gaze fall onto him.

****

        After they were done eating, showering and just getting ready for the long day, Jihyo, Chan and Woojin left to the student council room, where the speakers were, while Felix and the others met up with Nayeon to go over to the rented floor, all of the volunteering to help finish with the decoration. One of the Fae managed to somehow sneak out unnoticed from the small group, taking a different hallway from them.

       With silent footsteps, Jeongin walked along the quiet hall, hoping that he would find that hidden door again. Feeling along the wall, he found a crescent in the side and instantly turned to it. There were more drawings here, but they weren’t as visible. From deeper into the hall, two red eyes started to shine, startling Jeongin and making him jump away from the wall. The hound sauntered over to him with no speed at all, barely bothering to reach the other, tail flinging from side to side. Hounds weren’t what Jeongin had read with Hyunjin and Seungmin one day in a human mythology book, over at Marolynn’s. They weren’t big dogs with spiky ears and shadows lapping at their feet, but tall and slender creatures that seemed to resemble black panthers, their eyes a burgundy red with white dots under them, contrasting against the black fur. Their ears were spiked but only a little, a puff of white there too. Their tail was especially intriguing, because it was really thin and long, with a sharp deadly tip at the end. Depending on the type and owner, the hounds were either peaceful, lazy, or violent. Wild, untamed hounds never attacked a Fae, but would do so if they believed them to pose a threat.

        The hound sat down in front of Jeongin, looking up at him with sleepy eyes, while Jeongin didn’t know how to react. He never saw a hound with his own eyes, so seeing one right now made him fear that one wrong move would label him as a threat. The hound, oblivious to the other’s inner turmoil, leaned against the wall with its front, making the bricks move and open on their own. Jeongin gaped as the bricks fell apart to reveal a short corridor, leading to another door that looked the same. The hound got up and started to move over to the other door, stopping only to look behind and see if the fairy was following.

        When Jeongin heard the slightly purring, whining noise come from the hound, he hurried over to the creature, smiling apologetically. The hound opened the next door as well, pushing Jeongin through before he returned to the intermediary hall, disappearing behind the shadows as the bricks rolled back up and closed the hole in the wall. Jeongin frowned, wondering where he ended up. Taking slow steps towards the end of the hall, Jeongin came face to face with Mina, a book opened onto her lap and a cup of coffee in her hand. He didn’t know how to notify her that he was there, thinking about ways through which he wouldn’t startle her, when she looked up and nodded towards the door to Krey’s office, barely containing a smile.

        Jeongin headed to the door, bowing his head to Mina in thanks. The door was half opened, to Jeongin’s surprise, so he simply pushed it open, peeking inside. He almost gasped when he saw a student in his office, with Krey nowhere in sight. Did Mina know about the student? He turned back towards the door, contemplating whether he should go and ask her, before looking back at the student. He seemed to have black ruffled hair and, if Jeongin’s eyes were good, he was almost the same height as him.

        It made Jeongin think that it would’ve been very appropriate to gasp, and quite loudly, when the student turned around and smiled at Jeongin, green eyes and familiar features greeting him.

        “Krey?! Why do you look like a student?!” Jeongin almost shouted, feet moving backwards a little. The other laughed at the reaction, striding over to where Jeongin was.

        “Here, ruffle my hair! It’s so bouncy and black!” Jeongin did so, reluctantly, his fingers brushing through the very soft locks. The other’s eyes were crescents as he smiled widely, no canines visible, his ears normal.

        “Why do you look so human?”

        “I wanted to attend the Halloween get-together as well!”

        “For real?”

        “Yeah! I wanted to spend more time with you and your family in a calm environment, you know? I bet it’ll be fun. Why, you don’t want me to be there?”

        “Quite the opposite! I’m just…really surprised ‘s all.” Krey patted the other’s head before shoving his hands in his pockets.

        “So, why the visit?”

        “Wanted to see how you were doing. And I also wanted to escape Nayeon’s wrath because apparently Felix promised we would help with the decorations and I wouldn’t really know what to do with them, so rather than disturbing them during work, I preferred to come here.”

        “…or, you’re just too lazy to learn how to help.” Jeongin whined when Krey said that, knowing that it was true. He really was a sneaky fox, after all.

        “I assume you met Mina’s hound?”

        “Wha- How did you know?”

        “Well, you have hound magic on you, and it feels as if you passed through one of their tunnels.”

        “They’re the ones opening those tunnels?”

        “Yup, although only Fae can stumble through them, so there’s no worry. Mina sends the hound on patrol almost every night, and when I’m away, she leaves them through the university for the entire day. I guess she thought it would be a good scare to let them roam, seeing as it’s Halloween night soon.”

        Krey walked back to his office desk and sat down at his laptop, surfing through the web pages that he had opened prior to Jeongin’s arrival, a news box catching his attention. “Hey Jeonginie, come here for a sec.” Jeongin abandoned the book that he was looking at on the  coffee table, running over to Krey. He leaned over the other’s shoulder, looking at what Krey was pointing out.

        “…murder in down-town, a mysterious warlock strikes? And this happened last night?”

        “I’m just as surprised. I thought that area was safe until now; and mysterious warlock? It sounds a bit sketchy.”

        “It does. Hey look, there.” Jeongin pointed to a small written box in the corner of the page. _It is believed that the warlock came from Busan in search of someone, and hours after meeting with said person, he grew restless and ended up attacking a passerby. The person with whom he met is unknown. The warlock left afterwards, heading south from recent records. If you get in his path, get out of there or use a water spell to deflect the attacks. Stay safe, folks._ “If they say to use water spells, then he must be a fire warlock, right?”

        “Yeah…but, what do you think about the attack? And why would someone come all the way from Busan to Seoul just to talk with a person for a few minutes and then kill someone?”

        “Maybe those two don’t get along?”

        “Maybe…I’ll have to look more into the issue, and maybe even talk with Blutmund. She might know something.”       

        “You know Blutige?” Krey looked up when he heard Jeongin’s surprised voice. He nodded, reaching out to swipe to the next page of news. “Maybe that’s what she was talking about when she said that I smelled familiar! You know, when I went yesterday to actually talk with her.”

        “Heh, that must’ve been it indeed. My scent is really strong so it might’ve latched onto you for a bit. Sorry about that.”

        “Oh no, it’s fine, really.” Dragging a seat next to Krey’s, Jeongin sat down and started to look through the news along with him, not even realizing when two hours passed by.

Jeongin’s phone vibrated, making him stop talking, hands reaching into his pocket to fish the phone out. He debated for a second whether he should just leave the person hanging and continue talking with Krey, but the other nodded and turned around, reading something else.

        **_From: Felix_**

_You sneaky fox, get me out of here, I wanna go out. I’m so bored! XD_

**_From: Jeongin_ **

_Heh, decorations bore you that much? Meet me outside at the front university entrance. ;)_

Jeongin sighed, almost dropping his phone in surprise when it vibrated again. With a curse, Jeongin went to the settings and changed to _only sound_ instead of _sound and vibration,_ before checking out who the sender of the second message was, since he was certain it wasn’t Felix. When he saw Yedam’s name, he felt his heart pick up, eyes widening a little in curiosity.

        **_From: Yedam_**

_Hey Jeongin, are you free right now? I’m planning a Halloween prank for the librarian. Wanna join?_

_**From: Jeongin**_

**** _Sure, but I gotta meet up with Felix first, and then we’ll be there._

        With an apology to Krey and a bright smile, Jeongin dropped his phone back into his hoody pocket and ran out the door, waving at Mina along the way.

        He met up with Felix at the front gate, the other shivering a little, a large hoody over his shirt that hadn’t been there when Jeongin had sneaked away. When Felix could almost feel the other’s curiosity, he told him that Changbin had insisted he take it, saying that it was really cold outside. To his surprise, the other had actually noticed just how bad Felix reacted to cold weather.

        Jeongin felt a teasing remark rising just on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back when he saw just how cuddly and soft Felix looked. They walked quickly towards the front door of the right wing, sighing when the warm air from inside engulfed their forms. The walk to the library was a short one, Jeongin taking a few shortcuts to reach there.

        There was no soul inside, except for the librarian who was sleeping peacefully, a book of physics opened in front of him, a green highlighter uncapped on the page. Felix almost cringed visibly at the sight of the potential-phosphor container.

        Tiptoeing around his desk, they walked all the way to the back where Yedam was sitting on one of the benches, a cardboard box, a bag of feathers and a bottle of honey next to him. When he noticed the two Fae approaching, Yedam smiled brightly, hopping down from the bench and grabbing the utensils. Felix took a look at the things, huffing a little with a smile when he realized just the mess they would produce.

        “So, you plan to coat the librarian in feathers? Poor guy, he’s at Physics isn’t he? He’s gonna waste a lot of time taking away the feathers.”

        “That’s why I’m using honey and not glue.” Yedam winked, before turning towards Jeongin. “Do you have any wires or rope on you?”

        “Why would I have rope on me?”

        “I have.” Felix exclaimed, tugging an entire roll of brown rope out from his hoody pocket. He’d remembered when Changbin tucked the thing in while he had to work with the garlands. Felix hoped they didn’t need it anymore.

        “Then let’s do this!” Yedam giggled with excitement, grabbing the cardboard bucket and running towards the front desk. With a quiet laugh, Jeongin followed after him with the feathers while Felix grabbed onto the rope and bottle of honey.

        They had to use a bit of magic to get the ropes stuck above the librarian’s head, the cardboard box now filled with feathers onto them. Using a water spell, Jeongin diluted the honey until it could easily pass as amber colored water, and dumped it all over the librarian, mindful of the books opened in front of him. Felix had made sure the other would remain asleep, so the other didn’t wake up until Felix snapped his fingers and the cardboard box fell. Shocking both Jeongin and Felix, Yedam threaded his fingers through their locks, before doing the same to him. He watched as the other’s hair turned a vivid violet, close to a light purple, his eyes changing to amber. Using the windows on the door, Felix looked at himself and saw that his hair was now a dark red, and Jeongin’s a light blue.

        The librarian groaned a little when he felt the cardboard box hit his forehead and a few feathers enter his mouth, hands moving up to check what was happening and to throw away the box. When he saw his hands covered in white feathers and honey, he shrieked and looked around the library, just in time to see three students run away with their backs to him. He shouted after them and got up to chase them, angered and impressed at the same time by what they’d done.

        When Mina had gotten up to get an energy drink from the vending machine, she certainly hadn’t expected to find three students running and screaming through the halls with very bright hair colors, a man covered in feathers running after them. It took her a few seconds to process what she’d seen and to realize that the three students were Felix, Jeongin and Yedam.

        _“Kids these days…”_ She muttered with a laugh, grabbing her drink and going back to her desk.

        After they managed to get rid of the furious librarian, the boys collapsed onto a wooden bench from the veranda, breathing heavily and laughing.

        “That was freakin’ phenomenal!” Felix exclaimed, a hand over his heart, trying to stop it from beating that hard, or else it would escape from his chest. “I forgot to ask you Jeonginie, but where were you before?”

        “Oh, I was with Krey. We were looking through some recent news and apparently, a warlock murdered someone down-town last night, so we need to be careful around that part of the city.” Jeongin felt Yedam stiffen beside him, making him turn around with worry in his eyes. He tried to question the other, but Yedam simply said that it was nothing and that he had to go somewhere, so he would see them at the get-together. Jeongin and Felix watched as the other left, Felix frowning and Jeongin looking after him with saddened and worried eyes. It was strange, the way the other acted.

****

        Back at the rented floor where the decorations were starting to come off nicely, Nayeon paced the ground after returning from the kitchen after a few hours spent there to bake some food for the night that she knew would taste better added to what they’d ordered.

        Upon stepping into the rented floor, she found everyone rushing around and hanging stuff, everyone but a blond haired boy.

        “Aish, that boy…he went off again…Jihyo, he’s impossible!” She shouted towards the girl that sat against the low window sill, staring out the window.

        “That he is.” Jihyo remarked, laughing at the way Nayeon seemed to grow even more frustrated. Changbin could hear them talk from the end of the floor, surprisingly well might he add, making him stifle a laugh. It made Chan stare strangely at him, wondering whether he’d heard the entire talk, and just how well he could hear everything.

****

         Jeongin and Felix got up as well after some time and started to walk through the campus, enjoying the scent of petrichor and wet grass, the way the earth seemed to vibrate with energy as it soaked more water. The silence around the was disturbed by a distant shout, Felix turning around to look near the greenhouse from where he heard the shout. Blocking the charm a little, he narrowed his eyes and stared across the ground, identifying Jihoon with two packages in his hands and a bag over his shoulder.

        “Felix, glad I found you!” His pink bubblegum hair was curly now, a strand of blue hiding among the pink. “Here, I brought you some food since we all went to eat half an hour ago and you weren’t there so…” Jihoon handed him the package and gave one to Jeongin as well, smiling a little shyly. It surprised both Jeongin and Jihoon when Felix walked closer to the other and hugged him tightly, a wide smile on his lips.

        “Thanks a lot! I was actually hungry right now, so thank you.”

        “That’s what friends do, so you’re welcome. Plus, I’m your senior, and seniors need to take care of their juniors.” Jihoon said that with a laugh, ruffling the other’s already messy locks. Jeongin barely kept himself from laughing at that remark, remembering Chan’s lessons on how they must never give away their real ages.

        “What do you have back there?”

        “Oh, this bag? Nayeon forgot these decorations in our council room, so she sent me to retrieve them. These are the last ones that we need to hang. Are you two coming now?”

        “Yeah, we are.”


	29. A sparkling feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the second part you guys~~ hope you enjoy it!!! XDDD it's not proof-read so sorry for any mistakes ^^

         After the others headed in the morning with Nayeon to the rented floor, Woojin, Chan and Jihyo walked over to the student council room, where the speakers laid completely untouched, microphones and other sound devices lying in boxes a few feet away. There were a few other students inside, most busying themselves with organizing papers on Nayeon’s instructions.

        Woojin instantly walked over so he could check them out, bending his knees to get a better look at them. The outlets looked quite good to him, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with the panel. Taking a screw driver from the bag by his elbow, Woojin started to open up the back, careful with the amount of pressure that he added.

        Once the plastic back was off, Woojin sat down in one of the chairs and maneuvered the lamp next to him to shine straight onto the wires. Close to the output wire, another wire was slightly detached from its place. Grabbing the soldering gun and a short piece of indium metal, Woojin began to melt a bit of it before applying it over the wire, successfully gluing it back in place.

        To test if everything was back in place, Woojin asked Jihyo to play a track, humming when the music came out loud and clear with no interference whatsoever.  

        With glee, Chan leaned down and smiled widely at the other before pressing a long kiss on the other’s lips, threading his fingers through his hair. Woojin blushed, even more so when he saw Jihyo’s eyes widen and she turned with her back to them, but that didn’t stop him from reaching a hand out and placing it on Chan’s cheek, responding to the kiss.

        “That was awesome.”

        “I just fixed a wire.”

        “Yeah, but not many would’ve looked as good as you while doing it.” Woojin snickered at his words, getting up from the table and closing up the speaker before he looked up at Jihyo, inquiring whether there was anything else that they needed help with. Jihyo shook her head, saying that everything was fine and that they could both do whatever they wanted until the get-together began.

        Chan interlocked their fingers and walked out of the room, saying that they’ll be seeing her again before the get-together began, while Woojin just nodded, hurrying after Chan. While walking, he couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t remembering something…something important.

        “AH!” Woojin exclaimed all of a sudden, startling Chan into freezing. The other didn’t get to question Woojin, for he already started to drag Chan over to a secluded corridor, hands forming runes around them to avoid being overheard by anyone passing by.

        “What’s wrong?” Chan inquired, leaning against the wall with his hands behind his back. Woojin took a deep breath and started explaining.

        “You remember how yesterday I made you all draw your own pair of wings?” Chan nodded, urging the other to continue. “Well, Changbin drew a pair of black royal eagle feathers. I’m sure you know what black represents for wings.”

        “Either someone that survived miraculously after their family got killed or…a hybrid! You think Changbin is a hybrid?”

        “I’m more than certain by now. From yesterday and to this morning, I kept on looking through my notes and through certain images I had saved on my phone. There’s no doubt that Changbin is a hybrid.”

        “So that’s why there’s a seal on him? To keep him safe from the hunters?”

        “Maybe. We cannot know for sure the reason, but at least now we know what he is.” Chan’s eyes were round, lips parted in surprise. He dropped more of his weight against the wall, fingers tightening behind his back as Woojin remained still, watching the other.

        “…I cannot believe my friend is Fae too and I never noticed…Woojin, if you are completely certain, then we need to start paying more attention to him in case his seal breaks or someone goes after him. And we need to keep him hidden from the hunters…I never want to see another hybrid get killed by them just because we were too powerless to fight them off.”

        “I’ll help the best I can, but I think for now it’s easier if we keep this fact hidden.” Chan looked up in surprise at Woojin, not expecting the sentence from him.

        “Why? You know my family, we would never do anything to him. We’d just be more protective of him, just like we’ve been with other hybrids.”

        “That’s precisely why. Do you think Changbin won’t notice you all start fussing over him and being overprotective?”

        “…You’re right. I guess I’m just not used to keeping secrets from my family. It’s enough I have to keep Jeongin being a tribal fairy a secret.”

       “I’m sorry for bringing another burden on your shoulders, but it’s for the best.” Chan looked up at Woojin, worrying his lower lip, before he dragged the other in another kiss, this time pulling him closer and racking his fingernails down the other’s back. Woojin gasped in surprise, hands going up to wrap around the other’s waist and drag him closer. Chan sighed into the kiss, breaking from it just so he could rest his forehead against the other’s.

        “What good did I do to deserve you?” Chan’s voice held a smile, making Woojin shush him and pop the magical bubble around them now that there was no longer a need for secrecy.

        Seeing as they no longer had anything to do, they headed back to the rented floor to check on the others and see how the decorations were coming along. When they got there, Hyunjin instantly walked over to Chan and dragged him in one direction, while Jisung dragged Woojin in the opposite, both needing help from them in some way, making them smile lopsidedly.

        The hours ticked off, and while Chan had a small break to himself so he could drink some water and track back what they had done and what they would need to do further, Hyunjin started to hang the small metallic pumpkins and black bats garland around the large windows, falling off the ladder when a pigeon almost headbutted the glass. He was lucky the garland was already hung by that time so it didn’t fall off. Looking around to see if anyone noticed him fall, he sighed in relief when he saw no one looking in his direction. With slow gestured, Hyunjin pulled the window open and leaned out, extending his arms so the pigeon could drop whatever it had wedged in his beak. A rolled up piece of paper collided with his skin, making him frown.

        Almost as soon as Hyunjin opened the letter, the pigeon flew away, so he shut the window back and leaned against the wall. _This is Marolynn. Last night, there was an attack down-town where a Fae got killed by a warlock. That same warlock cursed one of the dragons from our district. Could you please come and help?_

        When he was done reading the letter, it disintegrated, falling through Hyunjin’s fingers like sand. He sat there for a few second, processing what he read and from whom the message had come, before running over to where Chan and Woojin were talking.

        “Guys, we might have a little problem.” And so, Hyunjin repeated to them, word by word, everything that sat written in the now evaporated letter. Chan instantly sat up, hands reaching for his jacket.

        “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go and check that dragon out.” Hyunjin tried to interrupt him and say that they were still not done with everything, but it fell on deaf ears. “Jihyo, we have something to take care of. Is it okay for us to leave?” The girl turned to look at them, a notepad tucked underneath her arm.

        “Sure.” She nodded, before turning her attention back to Nayeon.

        They walked downstairs and into the parking lot where Chan had left his truck, starting the car almost immediately after they were all in. Seeing as they needed to reach the district quickly, Chan took the shortest route, rushing through the streets, making Hyunjin clutch at whatever he could so he wouldn’t swing too much in the backseats.

        They passed the wards whilst still in the car, heading down the larger alleys and parking close to the market. Hyunjin was the first to exit the car, running down the narrow alley that led to Marolynn’s shop. The other two followed, surprised that Hyunjin knew where to head.

        With harsh knocks, Hyunjin paced in front of the door, waiting for the old lady to open up. She did, in the end, a worried frown on her face. Hyunjin entered the shop when she opened the door further, looking around for the dragon. He found it lying on a small table, the usually blue stripes that went around its body now a sickening black color. With a reassuring coo, Hyunjin walked over to the little creature, brushing his fingers gently over its wings, knowing that it would help soothe the dragon down after the second time when Hyunjin caught Seungmin shifted into a much smaller version of his dragon and had petted them, making the other lean more into his touch. The small dragon reacted the same way, feeling less of the pain. Chan approached the dragon from behind Hyunjin, assessing just how bad the curse was. To his relief, it wasn’t something that he couldn’t lift with a little strain.

        “How did this happen?” Woojin asked from beside them, looking at the old lady. She rubbed her hands together, eyes downcast and worried.

        “A warlock went rampage down-town and killed a Fae, before stumbling over this little one and cursing it for no reason. Blue was just out for some fresh air, so it wasn’t as if she’d done anything wrong.”

        “Wait, she was attacked in the district?”

        “No, no, she was attacked outside. She’d gone out for fresh air because she wanted to fly more than just inside the district.”

        “I’m certain I can lift this curse. It’s not too hard.” Chan mumbled, walking over to the small dragon. Woojin placed a hand on the other’s bicep, frowning a little.

        “You have remnants from a curse, Chan. Won’t removing the curse affect you?”

        “Woojin, there’s no need to worry. We’ve done this before, and I’m here to help in case something goes wrong, although I don’t think it will.” Hyunjin reassured the older, placing a hand on his shoulder. Woojin nodded reluctantly, sighing heavily. Chan smiled comfortingly at him before he walked around the table, placed his hands over the dragon. Hyunjin watched as Chan started to mutter something, his skin paling a little around the hands, his veins turning from a barely visible green to a dark red, almost black, the substance going up through them and disappearing under his long sleeves. Chan grunted, the curse hitting him a bit harder than he’d expected. With a hiss, he removed his hands almost instantly as soon as the curse was fully absorbed, cradling them to his chest to stop them from hurting so much.

        Hyunjin allowed the dragon to get up and rough up his spikes, wings stretching and then folding back neatly before using its claws to jump on Hyunjin shoulder and encircle his neck, settling down over his shoulders, tail curled around his arm.

        “That’s amazing.” Marolynn whispered, wide eyes staring up at the little dragon. She looked surprised.

        “Why do you look so surprised?” Hyunjin inquired, looking down at the woman. Marolynn smiled warmly at him.

       “It’s because dragons never do that, not even with Blutige. You must be hanging out a lot with that Skyger if his scent is so strong on you that it makes the dragon so comfortable.” Hyunjin blushed, petting the dragon’s head with fondness before looking back at Chan. The other was still leaning with his hands against the table, breathing in and out slowly. He looked up after a few more minutes, smiling up at the two and saying that he was fine. Just then, blood started to trickle down from his nose, making Woojin jump and search for tissues, while Hyunjin sighed; he’d been more than certain that things had gone too well for that not to happen.

        Hyunjin’s _‘it’s a normal response’_ unsettled Woojin even more, because a nose bleed like that wasn’t normal at all. Chan continued to reassure the other as he kept on dabbing the cloth against his nose to wipe the remnants of blood, other hand ruffling his locks. Woojin just couldn’t help but worry about Chan’s lack of selfishness when it came to others, despite it being something that made Woojin love him even more.

****

        Back at their dorm apartment, Felix and Changbin attended Minho around the kitchen, wanting to help the other prepare the scary pumpkin cookies that Jihyo had initially wanted to make to serve everyone when they arrived. They would be finishing almost a thousand cookies in an hour if they worked fast and filled the tray to the brim as best as they could, but first, they needed to prepare the batter.

        They started to measure everything out, the flour, the sugar, milk and butter, and…they were missing eggs. Minho sighed and dragged a hand over his face, muttering that he was going to buy a few from the convenience store down the road. Dragging the apron off of him, Minho walked out the door, ruffling his hair after it’d been plastered to his head by the cooking hat.

        Changbin and Felix nodded, fiddling around with the other things that they would need, such as bowls and a mixer. Whether it was intentional or not, Changbin kept on bumping into Felix while walking around, smiling whenever the other wasn’t looking. Thinking that it would look funny, Felix took a bit of flour from the plate into his fist and then threw it at Changbin. The white soon contrasted with the other’s black clothes, making everything even funnier. With a soft _huh,_ Changbin walked over to the counter, his steps deliberately slow. Felix made it as if to run away, when Changbin caught him by the collar and threw flour underneath his shirt. Felix shrieked and jumping in place when he felt the white powder tickling his back, making him laugh like a mad man and reach again for the flour, throwing the entire plate at Changbin. The other’s face soon became completely white, resembling a very white Santa Claus, his eyelids trembling as the powder tickled his skin. Felix realized he was done by the second he saw the other’s darkened gaze, because the next thing he knew, a bag of flour was emptied over him, coating him in white from head to toe. Changbin chuckled at the sight before him, mystified by the way the other seemed to appear angelic even in these conditions.

        Grinning, Felix wiped off the flour from his eyes and extended his arms towards Changbin. “Come and give this boy a hug!” He exclaimed, leaning quickly towards Changbin, waiting for the other to catch him. With a short shout, Changbin rushed forwards and caught the other, laughing when he felt Felix drop a fistful of flour underneath his shirt as payback, the powder tickling his skin.

        When they looked around the kitchen, they saw the white floor, the stained counter and the empty bag of flour, making them realize that Minho could be coming back at any moment and have their necks for what they did to the once clean kitchen. Felix gulped, although he felt far more relaxed knowing that Chan wasn’t at home to scold him.

        When someone gasped from the doorframe and a phone went off with a snap, they turned around to find Jisung stifling a laugh, phone turned with the camera towards them.

        “Minho’s going to kill you.”

        “We know.” They said at the same time, all three of them looking into the hall when the front door opened and Minho walked inside, carrying a plastic bag in his hand. He froze when he saw the kitchen, eyes slowing trailing over every single piece of furniture inside, before he settled his eyes over Changbin and Felix. Jisung scurried away from the soon-to-be crime scene, giggling quietly to himself. Seungmin and Jeongin laughed when the saw the image that Jisung had snapped of them, laughing even harder when both Changbin and Felix were pushed out from the kitchen and the door closed loudly behind them, the two looking like kicked puppies.

        Seeing as they were covered in flour, they had to go shower before they could do anything else, Felix groaning when he saw the white trail that they left behind.

        While the two boy where in the shower, someone knocked on the door, so Jisung quietly got up and opened it, brightening up when he saw Blutige smiling, a small bag in her hands. Taking a big step forward, Jisung hugged Blutige tightly, making her laugh. Minho opened the kitchen door again, this time to check who it was, shocking him at first to see Jisung and Blutige hugging, but then a certain feeling of warmness spread through his body, making him smile.

        They talked for a little bit, their voices shushed, Jisung leaning into the doorframe as he listened to what she had to say. Even Seungmin and Jeongin, who were on the sofa in the living room, couldn’t hear what they were talking about. With a nod, Blutige looked over Jisung’s head at Seungmin, Minho and Jeongin, waving at them with a wide smile before leaving.

        “Guys, guess what I have here?” Jisung whispered, smile present on his lips.

        “Drugs?” Seungmin teased, the paper bag looking quite plain and medicinal for it to have drugs.

        “Haha, really funny. No, there aren’t drugs in here. I asked Blutige yesterday to make some charms for us that would work only for 24 hours and would maintain out half-shifted form without us needing to balance our magic.” Usually, fairies either shifted completely, or not at all, because having to maintain a certain balance between the forms took a lot of energy, and while having fun, they might fully shift without even realizing it.

        “That was really smart of you!” Jeongin exclaimed, leaning more towards the other. “Can we see them?”

        “Sure, just move over so I can sit down too. Minho, you come in here too.” Minho’s ears twitched from the kitchen, his hands freezing against the tray of freshly baked cookies. He dumped them into the huge white bowl before rushing out, sitting down next to Seungmin. Once he was there as well, Jisung dragged his fingers through the bag, bringing out four charms. To their surprise, the charms were all black leather chokers with a golden diamond shape in the middle and a silver clasp.

        They took one each and securely placed it in their pockets, not yet needing to use them. Minho jumped up from the couch when he heard a _ping_ from the kitchen, knowing that the second batch of cookies was done. A second _ping_ followed, although this one was deeper, so Minho was sure it came from his phone. After he took out the tray from the oven, he checked his phone.

        **_From: Mr. Siege_**

_Good afternoon, Minho. I heard you were holding a Halloween get-together, so I wanted to ask whether a few bags of freshly roasted coffee beans would be of any use for you? It’s the end of the month, so you know how we need to finish everything before the new batch comes._

_**From: Minho**_

_Of course they would come in handy. We will come in a few minutes to pick them up._

        “Seungmin, you need to come help me up! Make sure the cookies don’t burn up. I’ve added the third batch in the oven now, so you have only two more before all the cookies are done. I need to go to L7L to get some bags of coffee from there, so I trust you to take care of them?” Seungmin nodded, grabbing the mittens and apron from Minho.

        “Why can’t I take care of them?” Jisung whined from the doorframe, watching as Minho tried to wipe off some flour from his cheek. Jisung chuckled when the other couldn’t get rid of it all, walking towards him and brushing the remaining flour off with his sleeve. Minho thanked him, pink tainting his cheeks.

        “I know just how much you like my cooking, so I cannot risk you eating any cookies before I get to take them to the get-together. Well, before Seungmin takes them.” Jisung pouted, eyes glancing out for the beautiful cookies. Minho waved his hand in front of his face, as if to accentuate his point.

        “Changbin, are you done showering?” Minho shouted from the living room, checking the time on his phone. Felix had left his shower a few minutes ago, towel hanging from his shoulders as he kept on brushing his fingers through his hair, the locks that came into contact with his skin quickly drying. In just under a minute, Felix’s hair was back to its fluffy previous state, although from the way he’d curled his fingers, the locks ended up being curled and a bit wavy too. He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans now and a white sweater, his usual black and golden charm hanging from his neck.

        Thinking that something had happened to the other, Minho went over to Hyunjin’s bathroom and knocked on the door, leaping a little when the door opened under his hits. He found Changbin staring at himself in the mirror, a pair of black sweats secured around his waist, white shirt hugging his body. When he looked up at Changbin’s face, he saw the other’s shifted eyes and trembling hands, making his blood run cold. _When had the other realized that his eyes could change?_

        “Hey Changbin, are you okay?” Minho tried to make it seems as if he just reached the bathroom, Changbin instantly closing his eyes and leaning against the sink.

        “Yeah…yeah, I’m fine I just…I kind of slipped and…I’m alright so don’t worry.” Changbin smiled, although he didn’t look up at him until he was certain his eyes had gone back to normal. Minho could only think that his eyes shifted because his _danger_ bell rang when he started to slip on the wet tiles.

        Changbin, on the other hand, couldn’t help but panic a little, wondering why his eyes changed again like they did last time, fearing that it would happen during the get-together as well.

        “Anyway, I came to tell you that Siege sent me a message about some coffee bean bags that we could take for the get-together, so I was wondering if you wanted to come.”

        “I want to. Meet you in the living room in five.” Minho nodded, exiting the bathroom and meeting up with Felix again in the living room.

        “I’m guessing you’re coming too?”

        “Your guess is correct, my friend.” Felix smiled up at Minho, playing with his charm and twisting it around his fingers,

        “Did the phoenix act up again after yesterday?”

        “Nope, everything’s been quiet and peaceful up ‘till now. Those tips that you gave me yesterday really helped this morning while using my energy. I didn’t use as much as I would’ve used otherwise.”

        “You’re welcome.” When Changbin came out from the bathroom with a black hoody thrown over his white shirt, they left the apartment, Minho grabbing a backpack from his room to carry the bags.

        The café wasn’t as deserted as Changbin would’ve thought upon a Saturday afternoon, especially when it was Halloween. There was a group of students settled around a room all the way behind the spiraled staircase, two old ladies hanging out at a table next to the windows and a boy, no older than fifteen, drinking a latte at the marble counter. To their surprise, the café was decorated with Halloween stuff, a pumpkin with fake candles inside seated against the window sill, bats hanging from the ceiling by white ropes and spider webs coating the outer edge of the marble counter.

        Siege was really glad to see them, ushering them to the back where the bags were. After packing half of them and finding no more space in his backpack, Minho went outside to ask Siege whether he had another backpack that he could use.

        Felix and Changbin remained in the storage room, Changbin going through the other bean bags and counting them, while Felix remained close to an empty metal rack. The storage room was quiet, except for Changbin’s murmurs as he counted the bags and their breathing. It all felt peaceful, until Changbin’s skin started to tingle a little, bringing forward a weird sensation through his entire body, before it disappeared. At the same time, he heard Felix loudly dropping with his back against the metal rack, eyes lost a little and breathing ceasing to exist at all. He couldn’t believe such a powerful energy wave had hit him and he still didn’t pass out. He could barely breathe, could barely hear, his sight out of focus and lungs constricted. Changbin was by his side in an instant, but Felix couldn’t hear what the other was saying over the sound of his own heart, could only feel as Changbin leaned close to him and patted his cheeks, staring into his eyes with urgency. When Felix could finally breathe again, he gasped, coughing a little at the feeling of his lungs finally filling with air again. He leaned a little against Changbin’s shoulder with his head, eyes closed, before he straightened his back and leaned against the metal rack, which was surprisingly still standing. Something red on Felix’s bottom lip made Changbin inhale a little sharply, thumb reaching over to brush it gently.

        “There’s blood on your lower lip…”

        “I must’ve bitten it while falling. Sorry for worrying you.” Changbin shook his head, placing his palm against the other’s cheek, the hand that was, surprisingly, still at his waist, squeezing the skin there comfortingly. They were both lost in each other’s eyes, but when Changbin realized the way they were both standing, he tried to wake himself up, tried to take a step back, but then Felix placed a hand over the one cradling his cheek, making them both freeze. Somehow…somehow, Changbin had the idea that Felix was staring at his lips through his eyelashes, so something made Changbin lean in, purely subconsciously, when the metal door banged open, shocking them away from each other. Minho came inside, carrying a second backpack in his hands, oblivious to their stiff stances as he called for Changbin to keep the backpack open while he dropped the bags in.

        Now that his mind wasn’t occupied with thoughts about Changbin and about how close they’d been to kissing, Felix thought back to the energy wave that had hit him, making him worry. Usually, energy waves in the fairy realm appeared when the ground released the excessive energy into the air, but in the human realm, it could only signal a disruption in nature’s balance. Felix couldn’t help but wonder who was crazy enough to do that.

        When all of the bags were packed, Felix and Minho each grabbed a backpack and headed to the rented floor, the sun paling in intensity as five in the afternoon started to approach.

****

        When Chan, Hyunjin and Woojin got back from their trip over to the Crimson Sea district, they found Jihyo, Nayeon and Felix whispering closely together excitedly, Felix holding a package in his hands. Tiptoeing over to them, Chan peeked over Nayeon’s shoulder, whistling when he saw a Ouija board, a few horror movies and a book filled with horror stories in the package. Chan could already imagine just how funny it would be for their group to play with the Ouija board, so he acted on it, calling everyone close to him. They all settled in a circle around the board on the floor in the middle of the rented space, although they needed to huddle closely due to them being 12. Chan read aloud the rules before throwing the board away and placing the planchette on the board. Some didn’t want to play, so the ones that did placed their hands on the wooden board, seven fingers touching the planchette, meaning Jihyo, Nayeon, Jihoon, Felix, Chan, Jisung and Hyunjin. They circled the board three times before going back to the center, Chan taking a deep breath before inquiring.

        “Are there any spirits willing to talk with us?” His voice was calm as he spoke, as if he was more than convinced that the board was real, while Jihyo and Nayeon almost laughed, believing the board to be fake after seeing so many videos about tests done in which a group of students got the correct answers about something, but when they had their eyes covered, they got nothing. The planchette started to move under their fingers, and they all looked up, feeling as if it was moving on its own. Felix had especially wide eyes, laughing internally since he knew Chan was using his wind to move the planchette to where he wanted. _Yes._

        “Alright then. Did you…die in here?” Jihyo looked up at Chan warily when he asked that question, not liking where it was going. _Yes._ The planchette moved back to the middle.

        “We’re not getting anywhere with this, let me ask a question.” Nayeon said after several more usual questions of whether the spirit was female or male, how old they were when they died, what their name was and other thing like those. “Who took my blue bobby pin? Jihoon or Jihyo?” The two in question looked up at Nayeon, as if they had no idea about what she was talking. The planchette circled the board a few times before settling on _F,_ before starting to move again. _E. L. I. X._ Nayeon looked up at the other in an instant, and when Felix shied away and looked anywhere but at her, she jump, almost taking her hand off the planchette in shock, before remembering the rule to never take your hands off unless you said _goodbye_. “Okay, this is getting a little freaky.”

        “Hey, maybe you just moved it on instinct, subconsciously, like how those people did in the video. Let someone else ask something that neither of us know.”

        “Okay, I’ll go!” Jeongin said, straightening his back. “What was my last text today towards…Minho?” The planchette instantly started to move, spelling out _see ya_. Jeongin’s eyes widened, taking out his phone and showing the exact same text to the others.

        “Now I understand you, Nayeon. I’m getting shivers all over my body….” Jihyo whispered, her free hand going around her body as if she was cold. None knew that Chan was using a short term telepathic spell, hearing everything the other’s thought about when they asked the questions so he would know how to move the planchette. “You know what, how about we prove that this is really real? I mean, maybe someone saw the text from those playing, and they moved the planchette. Jisung is always hanging out with Minho, so maybe he saw the message.”

        “Maybe he did, but we won’t know for sure if it’s true or not unless something extreme happens. I know it was in the rules, but how about we say goodbye and only I and Felix play, and you, Jihyo, ask the same question Jeongin asked, but about Nayeon, hmm? No one saw yours or her phones, so we wouldn’t know.”

        “Alright.” They moved the planchette to _goodbye_ and then removed their hands, Felix and Chan placing them back to circle the board and wait for Jihyo’s question. Felix really was enjoying this. “Spirit, what was my last text towards Nayeon?”

        The planchette started to move, faster this time, Felix and Chan barely keeping their fingers on it. Jihyo and Nayeon watched with wide eyes as the words _take care and stay safe_ were written out, making Nayeon’s eyes tear up from the sudden chill that she got.

        “Okay, we’re throwing that away. I don’t wanna be haunted.” Jihyo exclaimed, making to get up, but Jihoon grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back down, smiling a bit. He was excited to play more.

        “You said you wanted proof it was real, and now you have it. So, why not play for more? It’s Halloween after all.”

        “I’ll play too this time.” Came Changbin’s surprising retort, the boy shuffling closer to the board, leaning a bit in Jisung’s side. “Will you play?” Jihyo shook her head, Nayeon as well. Chan decided to not to anything anymore, the fun with the wind magic outlived by now. He relaxed on his hands and watched as Changbin sighed and focused on the board. He appeared serious, although the others had no idea what he was going to do without his hand on the planchette.

        “Why aren’t you placing your hand on the planchette?” Jeongin inquired, looking closely at the other.

         “I want to check out whether our hands weren’t the ones moving it.” All of them frowned, Chan even more so since he was certain the planchette wouldn’t move without his help. Changbin sighed and turned towards the board. “Is there anyone other-worldly in here?” Changbin steel voice cut like a knife through the room, and suddenly, the temperature dropped, Felix looking at Chan with wide eyes, hoping that the other was doing something. Chan’s equally wide eyes confirmed to him that he was not in the middle of this, and Felix couldn’t feel the energy coming from anyone of them, not even Changbin. They all gasped when the planchette started to move with no help whatsoever, this time, Chan not playing any tricks. They all gasped when the planchette started to move with no help whatsoever, this time, Chan not playing any tricks. _Yes._ Changbin felt something pass by his shoulder, making him jump a little before focusing on the board again. He’d done stuff like this before when his aunt had brought a board back home, received as a gift from one of her co-workers. He’d made many friends through the board, so he knew that the spirits were real and he could contact them, which was why he hadn’t wanted to play in the beginning.

         “Are you a good spirit, or a bad spirit?” The planchette moved over to _G_ making them all sigh in relief. “Do you have a name?” _Mitzpa._ “How old are you?” _500 years old, I died at 14._ Changbin’s eyes widened. He’d never gotten into contact with a spirit that knew so much from before it died and how much time it passed since then. “Can you do anything to someone that would be visible to prove that you’re real?” Changbin saw the planchette move to _Yes_ before silence fell over them. It was short lived, when Jihyo loosely tied locks sprang free from their elastic band, her hair starting to float in the air. The spirit didn’t pull at her hair, but Jihyo still screamed while remaining still, her heart almost beating out of her chest. Jeongin took out his phone and snapped a picture of Jihyo, when her hair was pulled all of a sudden, although not too painfully. She shouted in pain, following the hand pulling her hair so it wouldn’t hurt anymore. The spirit released her and the planchette started to move again. _Erase_. Changbin looked up at Jeongin, and he was certain he saw as well. Before he erased the picture, he opened it and threw the phone next to the board, everyone leaning in to see the pale, ghostly figure of a girl lying next to Jihyo with her hands in her hair and a wide smile on her face, although even to Changbin the smile looked disturbing. Almost as if the spirit could sense their fear growing, it started to get colder, a bad feeling tingling down Changbin’s spine. The spirit started to move the planchette on the board, continuously forming the infinite sign. Changbin instantly placed his hand on the wooden piece, stopping it from moving.

        “You won’t get out.” Changbin said with finality, staring at the board. The face of the girl appeared before him, instead of the eyes from the picture, black holes, a nasty open wound on her jaw. She screamed in his face, but Changbin held his ground, glaring at her before snapping his hand towards _goodbye,_ the spirit instantly disappearing as the portal closed. All of the Fae in the circle stared at Changbin with awe, Minho, Felix, Chan and Woojin knowing why the other could communicate so well with spirits, while the others assumed that he had inherited the ability in the family, especially if his mother was a human with an affinity for magic. The girls were plain out terrified, Jihoon stuck between being scared and intrigued. Jihyo had had enough of the board, so she got up and ran outside, screaming after them to just get rid of it, while Changbin chuckled and claimed that he would bring the board back at his dorm, as it was harmless now.

****

        Music blasted through the speakers as the get-together full-on bloomed, Seungcheol spitting fire on the stage as the crowd of students danced, a few lining around the walls so they could enjoy their drinks and talk, pumpkin cookies in their hands. At one of the tables, Jisung was stuffing as many cookies as he could, really enjoying the great taste, trying to avoid staining his pink sweater with grease, fiery eyes glinting in the poor light. He grew to love Minho’s cooking more and more as the days passed. That didn’t go unnoticed by the cook himself, who stopped close to Jisung to tease him, his orange sleeveless shirt and white pants bringing out his eyes. A few steps away, Hyunjin and Seungmin hung around the table, sipping from their drinks and laughing together, their smiles reaching far over their eyes. It was as if they were glowing with how happy they looked. They were both wearing matching blue jeans, black shirts and jean’s jackets.

        In the middle of the dance floor, Jeongin, Krey and Yedam danced together in a circle, hollering and singing to the lyrics whenever something familiar came on shuffle. Krey, Jeongin soon learned, was a really funny person to hang out with. He was easy going, cracking jokes her and there and just enjoying his night the best he could. At one point, Krey had even grabbed Jeongin’s hands and started to spin the both of them, giggling loudly, while Yedam snapped photos of them. He would never forget that sight, and would most probably laugh every time he remembered it.

        During the breakdance, Minho had been challenged by a younger looking girl whom soon gave up, saying that he was too good for her to beat, Krey stepping up on stage. Minho almost choked on his words when he realized the headmaster was in front of him, glamoured as a student. Krey spoke to him, telling him to not go easy and just dance, so Minho did just that, in the end collaborating with the other to create the perfect robot scene flowing along the beat. Everyone cheered at them, surprising both Minho and Krey when the students got them up on their shoulders and started to drag them through the level up in the air, chanting their names and laughing.

Changbin was outside on the balcony, enjoying a bit of quietude after the get-together began and music started to blast through the speakers. He hadn’t really known what to dress with, so when Jisung found him walking around, cladded in black, he wasted no time in dropping a pair of cat ears on the other’s head, grinning when Changbin grrred at him, sounding exactly like a cat. From outside, he could see the floor getting more and more crowded, the masses of students dancing.

        With a heavy sigh, Changbin headed back inside, looking around for Chan and Jisung, although it was impossible to find anyone through the mess. A hand pulled him aside into a corner when he could no longer fight with the bodies dancing around him, startling him. Golden orbs stared into his, red and orange hues almost dancing in them, a few stray locks interfering with his sight. Felix was dressed up really nicely for the party, ripped black jeans and a white, button-up silky shirt, a black choker resting against his pale skin, his freckles visible and glistening in the darkness, as if they were stars. Felix’s ears were sharpened as well, although Changbin couldn’t help but wonder from where he’d gotten them…they looked so real, just like his contacts. He saw Felix’s eyes glistening with mischief, making him sigh and lean against the wall.

        “I see you got lost.” Felix muttered, and when Changbin looked down at him with one eye opened, he saw the sly grin playing on the other’s lips. Changbin went to knock the other against his shoulder, but Felix was faster, grabbing at Changbin’s hand and interlocking their fingers, leaning closer. He was grinning by now, eyes filled with joy, the club-like light reflecting off of them. “Come on, Jisung and Chan are looking for you.” Felix remarked, pulling Changbin after him without unlocking their conjoined hands, making Changbin’s heart do a weird dance in his chest.

        “Why are they looking for me?”

        “You didn’t hear? Oh, you must’ve been on the balcony then. A few minutes ago, the crowd just started to chant _3RACHA_ until Chan went up on the stage and agreed with the other students to sing a bunch of songs. They were looking for you so that you could get ready for that.” Changbin’s mouth opened in a silent _oh_ , and Felix couldn’t help but remark that the other looked way too cute.

       In a conjoined room, Chan and Jisung were getting ready, checking up the mics and skimming through what songs they would be playing. “Good you’re here!” Chan exclaimed, walking over to Changbin and placing a hand on the other’s shoulder. Changbin could literally feel the adrenaline coursing through the other’s veins. It was sort of contagious, because soon enough, Changbin felt the same, his blood pumping through his veins with strength and energy, his skin buzzing with excitement. The loud bass didn’t startle Changbin, but made him holler and grip his mic tightly, bouncing up on the make-shift stage and agitating the crowd. Chan and Jisung walked up quickly to him, starting up on the beats for Double Knot, before going in with Wow and Broken Compass, the crowd getting wild as they spit fire. Among the crowd, Changbin’s brown eyes caught the sight of golden irises and a wide grin, making him feel even more fired up, knowing that Felix was watching his rap.

        Their performances ended so fast, it came as a surprise to Changbin when their songs stopped and Chan thanked the crowd, him doing so as well almost mechanically.

        “That was awesome!” Felix shouted over the music as soon as Changbin abandoned the stage and walked over to him, grinning widely and grasping at Changbin’s bicep, shaking him along with his excitement. Changbin smiled, both starting to sway along with the moving. They weren’t really dancing, but more like enjoying themselves on the dance floor, interlocked fingers playing in the air and grins being shared.

Growing bold, Changbin passed his arms around Felix’s waist and drew him close when the other started to walk backwards, hands luring Changbin. When their chests were pressed together and faces close, Changbin felt the breath leave Felix’s lungs in surprise, felt the warm breath fawn over his face.

        “Not so cocky anymore, now are you?” Changbin questioned, his lips almost touching the other’s while he spoke, referring to the earlier time when the other had pulled Changbin in the corner of after dragging him from the crowd and blocked him against the wall. Felix was no longer smiling, but rather watching Changbin with an amused expression. The air suddenly shifted around them as Felix’s eyes dropped down all of a sudden to Changbin’s lips and he gulped. That didn’t go unnoticed by Changbin, who placed a hand against Felix’s neck when the other tried to step away. Felix froze in surprise. When Changbin dared again to try and say something, Woojin appeared out of nowhere, making them fall apart and look at the other, both feeling a weird feeling in their chests, their cheeks hot.

        “Sorry if I was interrupting you from dancing, but I need your help with something, since everyone else seems to have disappeared. Could you please get the drinks from the back? They’re right down that corridor.”

        “…Of course we can Woojin. Don’t worry.” Felix said, nodding at him gently before tugging Changbin after him, trying as much as possible to hide his face from the other so he wouldn’t see his reddening cheeks. They reached the dark hall, and if not for their better eyesight, they would’ve stumbled over their own feet.  Felix barely paid attention to his surroundings, hoping that he could find the drinks faster and get back to the party so he would forget about the awkward silence from when Woojin appeared.

         It shocked him when he felt something coiling around his wrist and pulling back against a strong and warm chest. Changbin was more than sure that he was drunk when he pulled Felix in and slotted their lips together, because if he’d been sober he wouldn’t have dared do such a thing. He could feel something tying them, something that thrummed with life whenever he was close to the other, almost allowing him to feel other emotions that he sometimes wondered whether they were his own. The emotions got so strong now, that they create the north end in Changbin that Felix’s south attracted, making him no longer be able to deny his feelings for the other.

         When he felt Felix stiffen upon contact, he couldn’t help but question whether this was the right thing to do, whether Felix liked him and it wasn’t just his wishes and imagination at fault. Both of their bodies were frozen, Felix’s eyes wide in shock as he stared at the other’s scrunched up eyes. He just couldn’t believe that Changbin was kissing, _actually kissing,_ him. It was like a dream coming to life for him, making his fire thrum with energy, the bond between them vibrating with the strong emotions that they shared. He stared at the other for a little more, before shutting his eyelids and bringing up his hands to twist them in the other’s soft hair, fingers pushing away the cat ears. Changbin audibly gasped, making Felix push more into the kiss, trying to convey to the other that he shouldn’t have been afraid, that Felix was just as madly in love with him as he was. It all escalated in Changbin’s heart, emotions exploding through his body when he realized that the other was kissing him _back_. It wasn’t a one sided love, and Changbin couldn’t help the warmth that spread in his chest, suddenly no longer regretting making that fucking step towards the other and kissing him. Tugging the other boy closer, Changbin allowed a small smile to pass between them, parting so they could breathe again, but Felix was greedy now that he’d stolen a kiss from the other, wanting to feel those soft lips against his again, so he leaned back down, lips more determined and passionate this time, sure of what they were doing. Their lips almost muted the soft hums and gasps, but Changbin heard them all, making him lean into the other more, body pressing against his and walking until Felix’s back met with the wall, a huff escaping his lips, Changbin plastering a hand behind the other while the other settled around his waist, dragging him as close as possible. He dragged the pads of his fingers over the other’s soft skin, over his shoulders and around his waist like a sort of dance and kissing Felix suddenly feels like something he’d been doing for centuries. The air got warmer around them, and for some strange reason, Changbin could actually hear the other’s heart beating in sync with his.

        When Felix unwillingly caught the other’s bottom lip between his teeth and bit down, consuming the other’s low groan of surprise, and at first, he worries that he’d hurt the other, but then he realized just how tight the other’s fingers became around his jacket, the way his skin got warmer, hearing something crackle in the air. Changbin pressed his lips harder against the other’s, moving them gently over his, a content sigh leaving his throat when they separated only to connect their forehead, both of them breathing heavily and keeping their eyes closed, overwhelmed by what had passed between them. Changbin trailed his tongue over his lower lip, catching the small beads of blood that gathered. His blood spiked up at the taste for some strange reason, although he kept himself from kissing the other again, neither having enough air to do more than just speak. They were both smiling.

        Felix was the first to open his eyes, taking in the other’s relaxed features and the way he seemed to almost melt into Felix’s touch when he placed a hand against the other’s cheek. When Changbin opened his eyes, Felix gasped, low in his throat, eyes widening more, hand coming to a stop from where it was brushing against his cheekbone. Changbin eyes were…beautiful. Felix could just get lost in them, in the blue iris that seemed to resemble a star. It almost felt as if the blackness of the sclera merged with his iris, the blue tendrils moving against the blackness like a cold fire, Changbin’s pupils dilated a bit. In his awe, Felix spoke out loud, making the other freeze up, a look of shock and fear passing through his lips.

        “Binnie…your eyes…” Changbin stumbled away from Felix, ignoring the other’s shout and running away, head lowered so no one could see his eyes. “Changbin!” Felix cursed at himself, wondering why he always had to say everything out loud. He most certainly didn’t expect the other to know about his eyes under the seal, but apparently he did, and now Felix knew what Changbin was. A hybrid. He would recognize those types of eyes anywhere.

        Knocking him out from his dazed state, he started to run back to where the music was still loudly blasting, fighting through the dancing bodies to reach Changbin, or at least to go after him. He felt angry all of a sudden, wanting to push everyone away just to get to his mate, when he came to a stop in the middle of the floor, eyes widening. He’d called Changbin his mate…the bond, their connection, their feelings…now Felix knew for sure what the magnetic bond that he was blessed with did…it brought him to his mate. Following the barely visible red thread, he started to run through the students again, this time more successful in passing through them.

        Once outside, he kept on following the red thread, his footsteps taking him to the last place he’d expected. The L7L café.

        Inside the café, Changbin was freaking out, having reached the café at lightning speed. He couldn’t believe that the other had seen his eyes. Honestly, he didn’t even know why he was so scared because the other saw his eyes. It wasn’t as if the other would start calling him a freak just because of his eyes, so why was he so afraid. It almost felt instinctual to be afraid, as if he needed to hide whatever he was. Which, Changbin wanted to learn more about. Just why were his eyes so different? Why was _he_ so different? From the corner of his eye, Changbin saw red eyes glaring into the café from the window, making him turn around to stare back, but there was nothing there. He grew angry, pushing through the chairs that sat in his way and throwing open the café door.   

        “Who is there dammit! Show your fucking face!” A slithered hiss came from his right, making him turn around and drop in a defensive stance, staring with wide eyes at the mass of blackness. He poised his hands up, ready to strike, when something, or rather someone, jumped in front of him, pushing him into the wall and shielding his body, growling viciously at the creature. Glancing up, Changbin was shocked to find Felix, canines sharpened and bared at the creature, his eyes burning with living fire, his ears sharp against his head, twitching in anger. Looking down at his hands, Changbin saw claws clenching and unclenching, the sharp tips barely sparing Felix’s skin from cuts.

        “Get out of here before I obliterate you.” Felix spoke, but to Changbin’s ears, it didn’t really sound like him. His voice was deeper, darker, commanding. The creature sensed the rise in temperature, instantly scurrying away with a last hateful glance towards Changbin, making shiver. Felix remained with his back towards the other, making Changbin frown, not knowing what to say. He raised a hand and gently settled it on the other’s shoulder, but then Felix turned around and engulfed Changbin in a tight embrace, the other burying his nose in his neck, hands clasping tightly around his body.

        “Please…never run away from me like that again. You could’ve gotten injured or worse…” Felix’s voice trembled as he spoke, making Changbin feel guilty over running away like that. He rested his hands over the other’s back, relaxing in his embrace, feeling the temporary adrenaline wash off of him in waves. To Changbin’s surprise, Felix breathing a hot puff of air on the other’s neck, nibbling at his earlobe with his teeth before pressing a kiss to his temple. Changbin squirmed because he felt ticklish there, but then his sight started to get blurry, black dots clouding his vision. He felt as if every piece of his energy abandoned him, making him start falling, sleep overwhelming him. Felix’s arms tightened around him, stopping him from falling. The last thing that he heard from the other were soft murmurs, amongst which he heard the words _I’m sorry for doing this, but it’s for your own good._

****

        When the get-together ended and Minho went back home after spending more than a few hours terrifying Jisung and Jeongin with a book of horror stories, he didn’t expect to find Felix resting on the couch with a curled up Changbin next to him, sleeping so deeply the other would’ve thought he was dead if not for his strong heartbeat.

        “What happened?” Minho inquired when he recognized the other’s worried look and the way he seemed to almost curl around Changbin.

        “Changbin and I kissed.” Minho kept on staring at Felix, not really getting where the other was coming from. Felix sighed and dragged a hand over his face.

        “Is that what got you so worried? You both like each other a lot so it’s no surprise you finally kissed. In fact, I think someone won some bets by now.”

        “It’s not that Minho. Changbin and I kissed, and because of…the kiss, he ran away. He ran to the café, but a demon was there and Changbin saw the whole thing. I need to ask you to alter his memories.”

        “…How far do you want me to go?” Minho inquired, hoping that the other wouldn’t be as foolish as to want the kiss hidden from the other’s mind.

        “After the kiss, before I opened my eyes.” Minho nodded and got closer to the sleeping Fae, leaning down to connect their foreheads. It took just a few moments, a barely visible teal colored wave emanating from the two.

        “It’s done. By morning, he won’t remember anything after the kiss. It’ll be like a blur, maybe he’ll see that he went to the café, but the movie will break there.”

        “Thank you so much for the help Minho.” Minho couldn’t help but wonder whether Felix knew about the seal. It would be impossible for him not to know by now. More important was…did Felix know that Changbin was a hybrid.

        Taking Changbin back to his room and tucking him in safely, Felix pressed a kiss to the other’s forehead and spoke a charm that would protect the other while he was away. When he moved away a bit to stare at the other’s face and to move a few strands of hair from his eyes, a pixie appeared from the nightstand, looking up at Felix with warm eyes. She fluttered her wings around Felix, smiling when she sensed the aftermath of the get-together. Felix’s scent had enveloped Changbin a little, although the other didn’t smell like him, because of the scent. Lila flew towards his forehead and pressed a small kiss there, surprising Felix. He couldn’t help but wonder whether she was there to protect Changbin while no one else was with him.

        “Thank you for protecting him.” The pixie nodded slowly, her eyes tearing up a little. It felt nice to have someone recognize her for what she wanted to do and not what she was forced to do. Felix raised a finger, waiting for her to fist bump it, smiling when she did so.

        Getting up from his crouching position beside the bed, Felix walked out the door, but not before looking back at how the pixie cuddled up to Changbin neck, her wings starting to shine a pleasant white color.

        Rushing back to the rented floor, Felix found Chan and Woojin still there, helping around with the cleaning. Without saying a word, he grabbed them by their sleeves and dragged them outside, enveloping them in a golden cocoon before speaking.

        “What is Changbin?” The two older fairies froze, staring at Felix as if they were caught dealing drugs in bright daylight. Woojin was the first to look away with a heavy sigh, Chan looking guiltily up at his brother.

        “He’s a hybrid.”

        “When did you learn of this?”

        “Today.” Felix frowned, back slouching.

        “What are we supposed to do now? What if hunters come here? What if demons find him? We’re not as strong as we were back in the fairy realm with our wings…”

        “Felix, we trained to fight without our wings too, remember? And we are really strong, so we’ll protect him. You need to keep yourself from showing your worry to Changbin, because then he might start wondering _why_ you’re worried and then his seal might break.”

        “I know that but…I just…I want him to be safe.” Chan welcomed the other in his arms, nuzzling his cheek in the other’s ruffled locks affectionately.

        “He will be safe. We are SKZ after all, aren’t we?” Felix nodded, already feeling better. “Now, how about you help us clean up so you could take your mind off of things?”

        “Alright.” Felix agreed with a laugh, picking up a plastic bag along the way and starting to help clean up the alcohol bottles and wrappers from around the counters. This time, to his surprise, they had no desire to drink, but rather to dance and laugh all night long. Maybe it was because things were finally settling down more.

        Even after he said that he would be going back to the dorm after finishing with the bottles, Chan and Woojin still remained there, saying that they had to talk with the manager of the building before leaving.

        When Felix got back from the building, he stopped in the middle of the campus, ears trained to hear each and every thing around him. His senses picked up negative energy for some reason, and when he turned around, he saw the same demon that he’d seen at the café, although this time, it came with friends. Felix was sure that they’d not come back for him, but for Changbin. He felt the same anger from before coming back, his fire boiling underneath his skin. With a low growl, Felix launched himself at them, his feet almost dancing around the demons as he used his claws and teeth to tear them apart, his punches strong enough to send the demons straight through the pavement. A demon tried to get at him from behind, but Felix could instantly sense it, twisting around and gauging the demon’s eyes out with a shout, his claws digging deep inside the holes. He couldn’t help but think that Changbin could’ve been heavily injured now if he hadn’t been there, making his anger grow even more, the anger showing itself through his moves. One last demon remained, the very same one that had attacked Changbin in the first place. It stared with hollow eyes at the bloody remnants of his best fighters, before looking up at the tribal fairy. He was strong, stronger than the demon was, so it knew it had no chance, but he still attacked.

        Without giving a second though, Felix blocked the demon with a hand against his throat, before turning him around and plunging his nails through his nervous system, dragging out his spine from his body. The demon fell to the now black-soaked ground, limp and not moving, just like the others of his kin. Felix felt his skin sting, although this time it wasn’t because of his phoenix but because of the black, toxic blood that seemed to almost cover him from head to toe.

        A loud gasp reverberated through the now quiet streets, making Felix look up towards the entrance of the university. Woojin sat there, blue eyes burning brightly and widely, mouth agape. “Felix!” He shouted, hurrying over to the younger, side stepping the puddles of blood without as much as a glance. When he reached the fairy, Woojin didn’t hesitate to wipe the blood off of the other’s face, fussing over him and checking whether he was injured anywhere. With tears in his eyes, Felix turned to look up at Woojin, collapsing in his arms.

        “I need to leave. I need to leave or else Changbin will be even more endangered. There’s an even bigger horde of demons downtown, loitering right now, and they’re all searching for targets that smell like fairies. Minho wouldn’t scent Changbin, and Seungmin has already chosen Hyunjin and is almost always at his side, but I…I cannot stay here anymore until the dangers passes. I want to keep him safe.” Felix sobbed his worries out in Woojin’s arms, warm tears trailing down his face.

        In the morning, Chan made sure to pack everything that they would need before sending Felix, Hyunjin and Jeongin to their house, knowing that they had the least knowledge in how to mask their own scents.


	30. Lost page #5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woochan~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, another lost page for ya'll, hoping to dampen the angst from last chap a little. Don't worry, things will get better in no time ;)

**_Lost Page #5_ **

**_20 years prior to the exile_ **

        The bar was quite noisy, the humans around the tables cheering up on some game that was being played at their table. It wasn't that Chan hated the noise, but he'd left his group of friends specifically to get rid of it. His ears were sensitive, especially after the last fight that he'd had with a group of demons where he'd sheltered Jisung's body and a dust bomb had exploded nearby, making his ears tingle and twitch for days afterwards.

        The bartender seemed to take notice of this, passing Chan a stronger drink than what he'd had in front of him already. He stared at it for a few moments, glared a little at the green see-thorough substance, and then drank. Absinthe. Well, the bartender sure knew what he was doing. One glance from Chan and the other's eyes changed from dark blue to a neon green, a serpent tongue flicking out in amusement.

        The bar was a bit old-fashioned, the fuel lamps hanging against the walls and the rough splintered wood of the tables accentuating furthermore the age. Chan liked it, despite the slightly disheveled look and the fact that only elderly people seemed to go there

       The bell from the front door jiggled with the sudden entrance of a fairy, gathering Chan's attention and the bartender's in an instant. The aura was strong, although there was some hidden fear and worry hidden in the other's scent. Chan turned around in his seat, leaning against the wooden counter with his back, bones popping with a groan to cover his sudden interest. The fairy didn't notice the sudden change in the atmosphere as he headed for a table huddled closer to the wall and away from any windows. It surprised Chan that he didn’t notice beforehand the group of fairies.

        "I believe I told you to choose a less frequented place than this one." The man retorted, leaning into his seat with stiff muscles. The youngsters around the table worried their lower lips, eyes downcast and hands tightened into fists. "Hey, don't worry. As long as I am here, they won't hurt you." They? Chan couldn't help but start worrying. Who were _they_?

        "Woojinie, Vilfa started to get worse. The poison is spreading too fast through her body and my antidotes aren't too effective. We need a healer." A boy with large brown eyes and a bandage across his forehead said, hand going to hold one of the girl’s hands in his.

        Woojin, or so Chan understood the other’s name to be, nodded, fingers coiling around his cup, lips pulled into a frown. Chan couldn't help but think that the other looked really good, especially when he thought deeply over something. He decided to listen in more and see what was going on rather than just barge over the group.

        "Mich, stop worrying Woojin for nothing. I will be fine."Vilfa retorted, her smile a little strained as she pressed her hand tighter against her side and coughed. Chan used his sight a little to see better and almost gasped when he saw the girl’s side tore up a little, claw marks visible through the torn clothing.

        “Vilfa, it was a Buskwal demon that got you back there. You know damn well how affective its poison is.” Mich glared at the girl, barely containing himself from shifting. Woojin extended a hand towards them, placing his fingers over their conjoined hands.

        “Vilfa, Mich, stop fighting. I haven’t known you for that long, but I know that you two care a lot about each other. Just provide comfort for one another instead of fighting like this, because I’ll get you help. I promise that.” The other’s voice was warm, gentle, hopeful, making Mich and Vilfa instantly look away guiltily. Chan felt something at that sight. It reminded him of how he used to talk with Rachel, Olivia and Felix when they started fighting over nothings, despite the fact that Felix would always be the one to step back and apologize, even though sometimes he was right about certain things.

        The door opened again, although this time, it wasn’t a fairy that walked through…but a demon. A Buskwal demon, to be precise. Chan could instantly almost feel the way the fairies grew agitated, Woojin turning around and shushing the younglings while the demon looked around the bar. He scanned over the tables, most probably looking for the group, but to Chan’s surprise, he didn’t see them, instead heading toward a table far off to the other corner where an old man was playing chess. The demon sat down, eyes outside, while the man didn’t even notice him. It remained there for more than half an hour before getting up and going out through the wall. The bartender was quick to move to the edge of his counter, signaling to Woojin the back door. Woojin nodded and slowly got up from his chair, almost looking natural as he extended his hands over his head and popped his bones with a sigh, before going in the direction the bartender signaled. The teens got up as well, one by one leaving after the other and emptying the table.

        Once they were gone from his sight, Chan heaved a sigh and turned back around, eyes glaring into the hard wood as he thought about what he should do. Frowning, he downed another shot of Absinthe before he got up and grabbed his jacket from the back of his seat, tying it around his waist, hands swiftly taking the sharp knife out of it and tying it to his hip under the sleeves. 

The wind blew viciously outside, the night sky empty of its white beacon, the stars embraced in the never ending sea of grey and dark blue. When Chan exited the bar through the same back door the fairies had escaped through, he was met with an empty alley. His stomach dropped, thinking that he’d missed them, when he heard a small shushing sound from two streets away. Following his ears, Chan walked over to the narrow path, finding the group of fairies hiding behind a wall, two demons approaching up front.

**_“Come out of your hiding. You know that we can sense you.”_** Woojin flinched at that, his eyes quickly scanning their surroundings. From the alley through which the demons were coming, Woojin could see a ladder locked with a crowbar, the other alleys empty of anything that could help them. He did a double take when he realized that the warrior fairy from the bar had followed them, most probably concerned about their well-being. He remained silent as the other fairy came closer, the younglings around him staring up at the new figure without saying anything. Chan tried to smile reassuringly, hoping that it would work. It seemed as if it did, Vilfa and another boy smiled back, although the smiles looked a bit strained.

        Chan couldn’t help but think that the best option would be to just kick their asses so they wouldn’t be able to hurt Woojin and the younglings, but as he took a few steps forward out of the hiding spot, Woojin shot out for him, dragging him back and pushing him away while he used the trash bin next to him to propel himself up so he could use a knife that had suddenly appeared in his hands out of nowhere to cut through the crowbar, sending the ladder down with a ringing loud noise. Chan’s eyes widened when he recognized the embroidery on the knife, the golden thread tied around it, braided with skill by Felix, the maroon wooden hilt and the black metal. That was his knife, made out of Fae metal that could cut through any human metals discovered up to their dates.

        “Hey, how did you know where I kept my knife?” Chan got ignored as Woojin sent water spikes up towards the narrow alley through which the demons were walking faster, the spikes melting into spider webs and freezing over, deterring the demons from their path for a short amount of time.

        “Hurry, get up there! I’ll keep them busy while you climb.” Woojin’s voice was stern, and despite Vilfa wanting to contradict him, wanting to say that she, that they, could fight as well, she also knew that it wasn’t the time to disobey orders when their lives were in peril. Vilfa went up the ladder first, Mich and another boy that appeared younger than the two following up. Woojin worried his lower lip as he watched the ice slowly starting to melt away, the red eyes coming closer and closer.

        Chan finally managed to look at Woojin completely, and he couldn’t help a small, barely audible gasp leaving him. Woojin was wearing almost full fairy armor, something that was rather hard to obtain and to take outside of the fairy realm unless you were a full-fledged warrior fairy. The other’s eyes were the brightest blue Chan had ever seen, his ears slightly sharper than any other fairy, as well as his canines. He was still holding onto the knife that he’d somehow stolen from Chan’s hiding place, sharp eyes trained on the dark lumps and body tense. Once all of the kids were up, Woojin turned to face Chan directly for the first time.

        “Will you help?” Without a single word, Chan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before releasing it, his clothes hardening on his body, the materials tightening to form a sort of armor around him, the golden and black hues of the metallic soft material glinting in the moonlight. When he opened his eyes, he could see everything better, hear everything better, feel everything better. He felt his ears twitch, getting used to the nearby sounds and analyzing them. When he turned to look at the other fairy beside him, he noticed how the other had a look of awe on his face, before it soon turned to wariness and shock. It took a while for Chan to realize why. “You’re a dark fairy?! Why would you help us?!”  His hands lit up with a soft blue hue, canines bared. Chan was quick to raise his hands up, his eyes wide.

        “Hey, you got it all wrong! I’m not a dark fairy despite my eyes! I was cursed a while ago. I’ll tell you all about it later, when we aren’t being chased by demons!” Chan could tell that the other still didn’t look convinced, so he moved brusquely, grabbing that other’s hand that was still holding the knife and dragging it across his forearm, red blood flowing from the gash. “See?” Woojin cursed at the other, grabbing a tissue to cover the wound, eyes worried.

        “You didn’t need to injure yourself just to reassure me, you moron!”

        “I know but…I feel like I couldn’t live if you didn’t trust me. I don’t know why I feel like that.” Woojin’s eyes widened, before a small smile appeared on his face.

        “I think I like you. Let’s be friends and meet up at that bar again after we get through this. I’m Kim Woojin.”

        Chan smiled and grabbed the other’s hand, holding the other’s fingers tightly in his. “I’m Bang Chan. Although, I won’t accept it if the drinks won’t be on me.”

        “We’ll work it out.” Woojin grinned, just as the crystal wall shattered, shards flying everywhere and disappearing like dust. The demons growled, their shadows consuming the very light around them, eyes as red as rubies in a dark mine. Woojin had intended to give Chan back the knife, but then the other refused, saying that he had other weapons as well, reaching down for his high combat boots and grabbing two knives that looked very similar in appearance to hunting knives, the black metal glinting with golden specks. Chan passed his middle fingers through the holes and tightened the others around the black hilt, grinning. They lunged first, slashing through the demons, and at one point, they ended up back to back, and for a second, Chan felt this feeling of security washing over him, as if he knew the other would be having his back no matter what. The growl of the demons got reduced to disturbing sizzling when the blades hit them, their bodies becoming nothing more than black puddles.

        “Quick!” Vilfa shouted from up the ladder, urging both Woojin and the other fairy to climb up, knowing that there were other demons waiting just a few streets away; she could sense them. With a nod, the other fairy nudged Woojin forward while he stayed on guard. Once they were all up, they ran inside the old, abandoned building. Woojin took a quick glance around, not really knowing where to go, but one look at the huge canisters and long ladders, and he knew where to head. The entire place creaked wherever they stepped, so Woojin was safe to assume that the factory had been abandoned for some time now.

        One particular board creaked loudly when Mich tried to side step so he wouldn’t fall through a hole in the floor; the board underneath his feet gave way and suddenly he was falling through. A hand shot out and grasped at the back of his shirt, strongly pulling him back and onto the safe, steady boards. Chan kept on holding onto the boy as they walked, noticing the thankful look in Woojin’s eyes and smiling at him.

        They managed to reach the ladders safely after that incident, and after they were all on the lower ground, the canisters with oily substances hanging above them, they headed for the backdoor. They didn’t get too far, when a few demons materialized out of the shadows. Chan heaved a relieved sigh when he noticed that there wasn’t any wraith among them, and that the demons were of lower rank. Shukays were light demons that could only live in shadows, capable of traveling through them unnoticed. They were rather annoying to deal with, much like with Doublets, although, with the demons being seven, and them, two that could fight, it wasn’t a really balanced situation.

        Out of instinct, Chan pulled Mich behind him and placed his body as if to hide the other from the demons, Woojin doing the same with the others as much as he could. The demons hissed and snapped their jagged teeth as they started to walk towards them with slow steps, as if they were sure they had nowhere to go and that they were trapped. Chan tried to think of anything that they could do without putting the younglings in danger, but he couldn’t any way. Woojin kept on staring at the canisters above them, his eyes bright, as if he was searching for something specifically. Chan watched from the corner of his eye as Woojin twisted the dagger in his hands, ice that seemed to bend at Woojin’s will encircling it, before Woojin sent the dagger flying towards one of the closer canister. The knife pierced through, and before it could get lost in the metal cylinder, he wrenched his hand back, a blue thin cord appearing between his fingers and the handle of the knife. The knife flew back to Woojin’s hand, the other clinging to it carefully. Something trickled down from the hole in the canister, forming a puddle underneath.

        “Mich!” Woojin shouted, lowering his body to the ground, the others following. Chan’s eyes widened, legs instantly bending so that the fiery shot wouldn’t hit his head, Mich’s hands forming a ball of fire and sending in towards the puddle. A wild fire sprung upwards, extinguishing each of the shadows that were around them and that could nurse the demons into existing. They hadn’t taken into account the fact that the fire would grow to be wild and tall, reaching the canisters above. With a scared shout, Vilfa extended her hands, grimacing in pain, and created a shield of water around the canisters, the blast that soon followed engulfed in it. Vilfa gritted her teeth and held on tightly until the fires died down, her eyes paling in intensity the more she held on. She could feel her energy leaving her body, taking way too much out of her, and she knew that if she held on for longer, she would die, but she didn’t want to put the others in danger. One of the girls from the group noticed and instantly moved forwards, trapping Vilfa in her hands and pressing her lips against the back of her neck, ice enveloping the skin. Vilfa felt energy seeping back in her bones from her sister, giving her enough power to hold on.

        The shield collapsed instantly when the fire completely died down, Vilfa collapsing in her sister’s arms. From behind Chan, Mich hurried over to his lover, crouching down to take her in his arms and check her heartbeat. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her steady heartbeat, realizing that she was just exhausted from what she did earlier. Grabbing his jacket, he ripped off his sleeve and wrapped them around her waist, stopping the blood flow from her wounds. With his other hand, he started to make symbols over her body, his eyes golden bordering into sunset. Vilfa’s skin gathered more color, before her eyes opened wide enough to see Mich smiling with relief at her. She looked up and saw her sister, Joha, smiling as well. She sighed and nuzzled closer to her, grasping Mich’s hand tightly.

        Chan watched with adoration as they stayed close, remembering how he’d do the same with all of his siblings, Felix, Rachel and Olivia included. Woojin noticed the other’s look and walked over, joining him by his side without a word.

        “I found them a week ago while patrolling this area.” Woojin started after a few minutes of silence, throwing a side glance at the other to make sure he heard him. “They were slightly injured and in hiding from a group of demons after freshly being exiled. I made sure to protect them until now and maybe find a place where they would be safe, but didn’t find one until a day ago and now we’re waiting for the shaman to open the portal somewhere around this area.” Chan looked at the other with wide eyes, awe all over his face, making Woojin blush a little at a look that was rarely directed towards him.

        “You’re amazing…” The soft murmur was barely audible, but Woojin heard it alright, making him blush even more and know Chan slightly over the shoulder.

        “I’m not really that amazing, but I would do anything to see fairies safe. You understand since you’re a warrior and-“ Woojin’s voice got cut off by a sudden loud whirling noise, a greyish, bluish circle expanding in the middle of the abandoned factory.

        “Was the shaman tracking your location?” Woojin looked reluctant before he walked forward, reading the inscriptions around the circle.

        “Yeah, it’s her. Guys, your ride is here.” Woojin shouted to the younglings, waving them over. Mich helped Vilfa get on his back, holding her by the thighs while she tightened her arms around his shoulders. They stopped in front of the portal, turning around to look at Woojin, their eyes tearing up.

        “Woojin…thank you so much for everything that you did. You did so much for us already that we couldn’t dare ask for anything more…but we still will. Would you please come visit us from time to time?” Joha said, her green eyes staring into his with tears falling down, her blond bangs concealing a part of them. Woojin walked forward, brushing the tears away and leaning down to press a blessing against her forehead, doing the same to all of them, before stepping back to look at them all, tears in his eyes appearing as well.

        “I shall, I promise. We’ll see each other soon. Take care of yourselves and remember, you need to take care of each other and protect each other as much as possible. Now go, before it’ll close.” Woojin pushed them towards the portal, smiling sadly at them, his eyes shining with his promise to see them again.

        After the portal closed around them, Woojin allowed his tears to fall, his muscles relaxing now that they were no longer in danger. Surprising himself, Chan walked forward and placed a hand on the other’s shoulder, dragging him into a soft hug. Woojin didn’t show any resistance, leaning in the other’s embrace. Chan placed his chin atop the other’s head, sighing as he felt himself relax as well.

        Minutes later, they separated to look around the abandoned factory, wondering how they would get out now that the exit had collapsed under the shockwave that the explosion sent before Vilfa had managed to contain it. Woojin frowned as he went through the mental images of maps that he’d seen of the areas, stopping on one that looked familiar to where they were. There were some tunnels around, although there wasn’t any exit that could-…Woojin stopped on one spot and zoomed in, staring at the small _x_ on the map.

        “Chan, come over here for a second.” Woojin shouted after he reached the wooden half of the lower side of the factory. It looked as if the wood had rotted a little over the years, making Woojin’s job way easier. When Chan got close to him, he started to stomp his feet over the boards, making Chan’s eyes widen in shock.

        “What are you doing?!”

        “I saw the blueprints for this house before so there should be a sliding ramp right-“The breath got knocked out of both of them when the wood gave way underneath them, their bodies sliding down a metallic half-tube. They kept on sliding until they hit a wooden cover that seemed to block the tunnel. Their feet hit the boards at the same time, sending them splintering down through the tunnel and into water. Woojin stared around the new area, taking in every single detail. It was very lightly flooded, the tunnel completely dark if not for their night vision. Chan looked up at the other, almost giggling at the bright blue that faced him. They were the only things that shone in the pitch black darkness, so when Woojin looked around, it almost looked as if there were only two eyes without a body when Chan deactivated his night vision.

        “What’s so funny? I can just feel you grinning…” Woojin inquired, still not looking at him.

        “You look as if your eyes don’t have a body without night vision.” Now, Chan burst out laughing, making the other squint his eyes at him and glare, despite the smile on his face.

        “Well, you look the same. Your eyes move a lot too.”

        “Yours do as well!” They started to walk down along the tunnels, laughing at their light bickering. The tunnel felt like it went on forever, no exit visible.

        “How did you know where my knife was?” Chan asked after some time spent in silence. He hadn’t gotten time before to think about it, but in the darkness of the tunnel, he couldn’t help but remember what the other did.

        “I saw it when I entered the bar. Oh, and while at that, here.” Woojin handed Chan back his knife, their fingers touching as Chan grasped it back, his heart beating faster.

        “In a second?” Chan inquired with incredulity, curiosity laced in his voice. Woojin wrapped a hand around his own waist, as if slightly uncomfortable, before he answered him.

        “I’m a half-blood fairy, part nixie. I guess I got a really good memory somehow, so I can remember everything, even if I have just a second to look at it. It’s not really that amazing, I know, but-“

        “You’ve got to be kidding me…”Woojin cringed, preparing himself for the comments that were to come, only to look sharply at the other with his mouth agape. “That’s more than amazing! So hearing you say that makes me want to punch those that told you otherwise. Also, half-blood fairy, part nixie? I’ve never met a half-blood like that.”

        “I usually avoiding telling other’s that I’m a half-blooded fairy because they tend to not believe me, seeing as I’m not as beautiful as a fairy is.”

        “Bullshit!” Woojin looked up in shock at the other’s outburst, seeing Chan’s furious and determined eyes. “You’re even more beautiful than a normal fairy. How about you tell me who said those things now, hmm?” Chan exclaimed, rolling up his sleeves. Woojin actually laughed at that, waving his hand dismissively.

        “I don’t have to worry about them anymore, so you shouldn’t either. Hey, there’s the exit!” He shouted, pointing at the ladder leading up a circle stone. They hurried over, Chan helping Woojin up so he could reach past the first five missing ladders, before jumping up himself to reach them. They ended up behind a restaurant, the alley deserted and dirty with oil and other things.

        “I think we covered quite a lot of ground. We might have to walk for another long time before reaching the bar…” Chan muttered, staring at the streets so he could recognize them.

        “You promised drinks, so you’re not backing out of this.” Woojin said with a barely concealed grin, making Chan laugh and signal for a taxi.

        “That I did.” Chan said with a dashing smile, making Woojin’s heart flutter weirdly. They reached the bar in barely half an hour, downing shots for the rest of the night and getting to know each other better, Chan promising to meet up with him again before going back to the Fairy Realm.


	31. Lost page #6: Dark strings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delving deeper in Yeji's past...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this isnt proofread so if there're any mistakes, please forgive me^^ I hope you enjoy this lost page while i am still working on the next chap xDD Here, we learn more about why Yeji is acting the way she is...maybe she's not as bad as we all thought...

 

**_~500 years prior to current timeline~_ **

**_Year 1628._ **

        The chirping of birds and the sounds from the river close by were the only things that Ylva could hear over the silence in the cabin. Her fingers and nose felt cold, and once she realized that there wasn’t another body next to hers, she panicked. With wide eyes, she scramble off of the bed and ran over to their bedroom door, the floorboards creaking underneath her feet, her heart soaring in her chest. The pale yellow dress that reached her ankles brushed against her skin as she ran to their common room, the cold brushing against her legs.

        Bracing herself against the doorframe, Ylva scanned the common room quickly, passing over the sofa and table, not bothering to push away her raven locks that were obscuring her sight. She found her twin sister on the ground, in front of the fireplace, braiding her hair, lost in thought. Ylva breathed a sigh of relief and walked over, dragging a hand across her forehead. She could still feel her heart beat out of her chest with worry.

        “Yeji, what are you doing up so early?” Ylva asked, seating herself next to Yeji on the ground, smiling at her sister. Yeji finished the braid and tied it with a red ribbon before turning to look at Ylva with tired eyes.

        “I have to go hunt for some food. My energy didn’t get completely restored so I cannot lure one of the huntsmen to hunt for us. Seeing as you’re awake, you’ll have to help me with the corset this time.” Yeji smiled slyly at Ylva, laughing when the other groaned. Ylva hated corsets, but what she hated more than wearing them, was tightening her sister in one of them. She always called them a death trap ever since they were brought 5 years ago in their area, in 1623, and always opposed the idea of her sister going hunting in one of them. Indeed, Yeji used the corset so she could move better in the loose dresses, but that didn’t make it any easier whenever she had to run after a boar or climb a tree after a bird nest from where she could get a few eggs at most. Sometimes, she had the luck to find jewelry brought in by the birds, which she would sell for a small amount of money.

        A sudden strong gush of wind knocked against their windows, making Ylva jump and turn around, hand instinctively finding her sister’s. Yeji held on tightly, using her magic to scan the surrounding area in case it was caused by a wind fairy, sighing when she discovered nothing. Her dark eyes brightened as she enchanted the walls of the cabin, making sure that the sounds from outside would no longer filter inside. Reassuring her sister that it was nothing, Yeji got up from the floor and pushed her sister closer to the fire, knowing that she felt cold.

        With a smile, she returned to their room and pulled out a black dress and corset, sighing heavily as she got dressed and walked back out, kneeling in front of her sister so she could fasten up the corset for her.

        “Where will you go this time?” Ylva asked, her skin paler than before, a light sheen of sweat coating her forehead. It worried Yeji, thoughts of the recent cold that her sister went through coming back. Their kind wasn’t even supposed to get colds, but Ylva was an excuse, just like with all things. “Hey, stop thinking. It’s getting too loud for me to resist.”

        “Ah, sorry.” Yeji smiled apologetically, patting Ylva’s head. “I’ll most probably head over to the forests near south. I should find enough meat in that area. Will you be alright while I’m out?”

        “Stop worrying, I shall be fine. I’ll reinforce the wards after you leave, go into the basement and lock the door. Alright?”

        “Alright.” Yeji smiled softly at her sister, getting up from the floor. Ylva followed her to the door, pressing a kiss on her forehead and wishing her safe traveling. Yeji couldn’t help the worry that settled deep in her chest when she watched her sister close the front door. They had so many rules and security measures, but not without reason: Yeji and Ylva were twins, something that usually meant certain death for the Fae. Twins are rarely expected to survive further than fifty years due to them having their cores connected. If one of them died, the other would too, which meant that they had to stay together almost all the time to make sure they were both safe. When the twin sisters survived for longer than fifty years, those from the Fairy Realm were more than overjoyed, praising the sisters for always taking so much care of each other.

        When their parents decided to help the demons during a sudden attack, the sisters had ran away, claimed that they had nothing to do with the decision that their parents took, but the elders didn’t care. It wasn’t enough that their parents were long dead, they needed to be exiled as well. Yeji had cursed at the elders, glaring at them even as they pushed them down to the black portal that led to the Dark Realm. When they stepped through, the world twisted, turned in all directions, before they hit a green floor of flowers and grass. Yeji was startled to see that, somehow, they’d reached the Human Realm instead of the Dark Realm. They had no explanation as to why that happened, but Yeji couldn’t have been any happier than then. She could take care of her sister without worrying all the time about killing demons or running away from them.

        Her thoughts got run over by the sounds of running deep into the forest, the clicks of hooves against the rough ground vibrating over to her. She tugged her bow carefully against her back and started running after her prey.

****

        Even before she got home, she felt that something was wrong. There were dark traces everywhere, the nature wilted around their cabin, any traces of life, long gone. With a cry, she dropped the boar from her back and started to run towards the cabin. The door was wide open, chairs thrown across the floor, curtains and pelts ripped apart. The fire was still burning, although it was starting to dim in intensity. She couldn’t help the tears that appeared in her eyes when she saw the thrashed basement entrance and blood on the stairs. She tried to find her twin through their bond, but she just couldn’t sense her; it was as if something was blocking them from reaching out to one another. Yeji cursed, suddenly angry at whoever had dared to hurt her sister.

        With a quick spell that would identify the direction in which the abductors went, Yeji started out of the house, following her magic and instincts to find her sister. Her knees and calves hurt from running for as long as she’d been, lungs burning with the need to stop and breathe, but she couldn’t stop, not until she found Ylva. An arrow whooshed past her ear, making her turn around to find a dark fairy posted high up in a tree, camouflaged rather well with its surroundings. Yeji took out her bow, and before the darkling could do anything, fired an arrow straight in the other’s head. It slipped through with no difficulty, the dark fairy dropping to the ground with a barely audible thud. Yeji continued down the secluded path, shielding herself from view through the several trees.

        It wasn’t long before she found a camp set up at the base of a cave, a group of rather strong looking demons huddled close around what seemed to be a violet fire. Yeji took cautious steps closer, barely keeping in a gasp at the sight of her sister tied up next to the fire, a gruesome demon that seemed to be in charge ready to grasp at her to throw her into the sacrificial fire.   

        “Stop!” Yeji shouted, going out from her hiding spot, bow and arrow pointed at the greater demon. The other followers around him sprung up, encircling the capture and their leader, but Yeji did not yield before them. “Leave my sister alone!” She pulled the arrow even more, making one of the demons reach for their weapons. The greater demon stopped the little follower, glaring at Yeji, before turning to look at Ylva.

        **_“Twins. I did not expect that such a great witch as you might have a twin.”_** The greater demon spoke, referring to Yeji. She’d laid low ever since they got exiled, but it was no wonder that the demons knew of her powers. Word traveled fast, and when you managed to survive in such wild woods, you were more than sure to be compared to a strong witch. **_“If you don’t want me to kill your sister right now, meaning you’ll die too, you’ll bow down and serve me. Otherwise, I’ll kill you both right here and collect your souls and energies.”_** Yeji felt her blood grow cold in her veins, her heart giving painful thumps in her chest. She could hear her sister screaming at her not to do it as if she’d been submerged underwater, the sounds clear but the words making no sense in her mind.

        “I’ll serve you… just release my sister, please.” The demon grinned wildly, sensing the opportunities that would unfurl with a witch by his side. He grabbed Ylva around the hand and threw her at Yeji, the girl holding her sister tightly.

        **_“Your sister will not be going anywhere. I have no guarantee you won’t just take her away and run. She’ll stay with me and if you ever dare to disobey my orders, she’ll be the one to get punished, so think twice before acting.”_** Yeji could feel Ylva shaking in her arms, crying and apologizing through her tears. She waited until the demon started to talk with his other companions, before focusing on her sister.

        “What happened Ylva? How did they capture you?”

        “I heard a sound outside, so I left the basement to check and see whether you’d returned, but instead of you, a demon was outside. I ran back in the basement, but he’d already seen me so I had no chance. I was too weak to fight…You must be so disappointed in me.” Ylva started to cry again, whilst Yeji brought her in another hug, swaying them gently from side to side in an attempt to calm her down. Yeji glared through her own tears at the demons, simply watching as the greater demon enchanted a chain around her sister’s wrist, chaining her to him.

****

        A century after they’d been captured, Yeji had lost almost all contact with her sister, barely seeing her from time to time no matter how much she tried to talk to her. She knew that she was safe, because the greater demon had locked her away in a private room that always had food and warm water, and that couldn’t be accessed by any demon. Yeji had the reassurance that the greater demon would do nothing to Ylva, so she couldn’t take any chances and refuse any order.

        As she walked through the cement stronghold, she stumbled upon a new face that she hadn’t seen before among the demon’s followers. It belonged to a nice, young man that appeared more human than demon. Yeji had thought at first that he was a Vulgar demon capable of taking the form of a human, but later she discovered that he wasn’t a demon at all. It shocked her just how foolish the demons were to not realize that a hybrid was hiding among their ranks.

        “Why are you hiding in here?” Yeji had asked almost as soon as she’d cornered the boy, making sure that there were no ears eavesdropping. The boy’s eyes changed out of fear, but he soon controlled himself, willing them to change back. He struggled to free himself from Yeji, but she wouldn’t want him to run away and be found by a demon while looking like this. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.” The boy stopped thrashing in her arms, glaring at her through his raven locks.

      “Aren’t you going to hand me over to the greater demon? You did so with another fairy!” Yeji flinched at that, looking to the side and closing her eyes. In her attempt to keep her sister alive, she’d been forced to do many things that she’d grown to hate, things that sometimes made her wonder whether it was all worth it.

        “I’m not. Look, even though I’m walking around here as if I own the place, I’m a slave. The greater demon has my twin sister, so if he kills her, I die as well. I want to save my sister and take her away from here, but I can’t just yet. Will you…be my ally?” The hybrid stared at Yeji, for so long that she started to think he would reject her request. In the end, he sighed and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and finally relaxing.

        “For a second I really thought you’d bust me out.” Yeji still didn’t relax until she heard his next words.  “Of course I’ll help. If you protect me as well.” Yeji leaned into the hand that brushed her cheek, finally feeling as if there might be hope again.

        “I’m Yang Hyruvim. And you…?”

        “My name’s Hwang Yeji. I’m really glad you’ll be helping me. It’s hard to keep sane around here.”

        “I know. I know…”

****

        It was just another awful day in which Yeji was forced to either capture a fairy or provide information for a fairy, and today, it’d been especially dangerous because she was almost caught playing at two sides. She felt so tired, but lately, there was another feeling accompanying that tiredness more and more. When she saw Hyruvim, she instinctively brushed her fingers down his hands and smiled through half-lidded eyes, making Hyruvim sigh and flick her across the forehead.

        “Snap out of whatever they put you in again.” Yeji groaned and leaned into his side, closing her eyes and focusing on how she felt in the morning, trying to feel better again. Hyruvim dragged a hand through his ruffled locks, rubbing a hand down his friend’s back. She’d started to get worse as the years passed, and Hyruvim could do nothing but watch as her energy got corrupted somehow. He’d met Ylva for a small number of five times along the centuries that he’d spent with her twin, and just one time spent talking with her made Hyruvim realize just why Yeji struggled so much to resist against the demons, against their tries to turn her to their side. Ylva was innocent in all of this, struggling to live through the times the greater demon tortured her for when Yeji disobeyed him.

        “I don’t think I ever told you why I joined this demon colony, didn’t I?” He felt Yeji shake her head against his chest as she held on tightly. “I joined because I was all alone in those forests after years of living with my brother before we got separated. I chose to hide in plain sight, because this way, I could make sure they never got too close to him. Since he’s a hybrid like I am, I needed to make sure that he was safe. He’s most certainly in Sweden or somewhere around there by now, where he’s safe.”

        “So you did it for the same reason I did…to protect your family.”

        “Indeed. But you must not forget why you’re doing all this and that it’s not all your fault. You’re doing this for your sister, to somehow save your sister from the demons when the opportunity arrives. Don’t lose yourself in what you’re forced to do.”

        “Though am I really? I feel less and less like I am and more like I enjoy it-“

        “This isn’t you Yeji! Snap out of it.” Hyruvim shook Yeji, trying to make his words reach her, but she just shook her head and moved away from him, claiming that she was tired and that she would be heading to her room. Hyruvim watched Yeji’s form disappear behind the velvety curtains, cursing and hitting the nearest thing to him in his anger, a vase falling and shattering against the marbled floor.

        Inside her room, Yeji collapsed onto her bed, staring at her high ceiling. What had she been thinking before…she couldn’t remember. Since when was her mind this muddled? She kept on staring at it, a sudden face popping in her mind. _Chan._ Why would she be thinking about Chan? The other didn’t do anything to her. Or maybe she did something to him? She couldn’t really remember. She really wanted to somehow get to talk with him again, maybe ask him to help her save her sister or see whether he needed her help again, but then a sharp pain went through her head, and she couldn’t help but scowl, thinking that she could do better than him.

        Outside her room, a lowly demon waited until no one was around to pull the stinky vial out of his pockets, pouring the dark liquid into the wine and food, before knocking on the door to let the witch know that food was being served. Yeji threw open her door and glared at the demon, taking the food without as much as a remark and closing the door again.

        As she ate, she felt something sweet hit her tongue before it became sour, making her scowl at the taste, a sudden burst of anger hitting her out of nowhere. She growled at the sudden thought of just going out to kill them all, but then she shook her head and cursed at her thoughts, continuing to eat, her stomach rumbling.

        When another knock resounded against her door, she almost shouted in anger, yanking that door open with so much force that it blew a bit off its hinges. The greater demon stood in front of her, looking less than impressed with her behavior.

        **_“I want you to cast a spell over a group of fairies that I need to capture right now-“_**

        “I’m not doing anything!” Yeji shouted, glaring at the demon, before she realized what she’d done. Her eyes widened as if in slow-motion as the greater demon reached forward and pushed her by the shoulder, teleporting the both of them in a room where Yeji hadn’t gone as much, but knew to whom it belonged. Ylva sprung up to her feet, looking at her sister with wide eyes, the greater demon furiously looking from one to another.

 ** _“DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR SISTER DID?”_** Ylva was frozen, shaking her head with a tremble after the greater demon shouted again. **_“She disobeyed me. And I guess you clearly remember what I said would happen if she ever showed any sign of disobeying, right?”_** This time, Ylva didn’t nod, too terrified to do anything, Yeji staring at her with guilty and remorseful eyes.

        “Stop this! I’ll help you with the group-“

        **_“You dared talk back, and it was obvious that you had no intention of doing anything that I wanted you to. You need to be punished.”_** Yeji watched, her legs glued to the floor, as the greater demon grabbed Ylva around the throat, black tendrils shooting forward and enveloping her twin. Ylva started to shout in pain, squirming to get away from the grinning demon, while Yeji slowly collapsed onto the floor, tears shaking her body as she tried to tune out her sister’s cries. She could almost feel her sanity snapping away into oblivion, rage and anger consuming her. By the time the greater demon was done with his punishment, Yeji had secluded herself in her own mind, blankly staring at the floor. It wasn’t the first time this happened over the course of centuries, and it wouldn’t be the last no matter how much Yeji would try to stop it. She couldn’t move even as she felt her sister, her injured sister, comforting her, brushing her tears away and kissing her forehead, saying that they would be alright, but Yeji no longer knew the definition of alright. When Hyruvim found the two sisters still collapsed on the ground, he wasted no time in running over to them, dropping down onto his knees and bringing them in a tight hug, his heart wrenching painfully in his chest at his inability to do anything to help them escape. He was no shaman or warlock to be able to break such a strong chaining spell.

        Later, after Hyruvim left the two sisters together to rest, he went to lock himself in the unused basement of the building, hoping to get in some practice on his powers. In doing so, he didn’t see Yeji going out of the hideout, a few demons following her, her eyes red with anger and something he wouldn’t have been able to place his fingers upon.

        When Yeji kept on walking through the city, she did not expect to find Chan and his family at the checking center. For a mere second, she was truly glad to see them, wondering how they were doing, before she felt an unbelievably strong course of anger and rage going through her. **_Why couldn’t Chan help her? Why did he have to be so happy with his family? Why did they get the right to be together while she was apart from her sister?_** The corruption in her mind felt sweet in the end, Yeji giving in to the dark tendrils that seemed to brush against her mind.

****

        She woke up later in the demon headquarters, not even remembering what had happened. Hyruvim was sleeping in a chair beside her, and when she tried to move around, she felt her throat sting. With a gasp, she settled back into the pillow, staring at the ceiling. Images flashed before her eyes, and she saw herself attacking Felix, she saw a boy with foxy eyes commanding her to leave, she saw Chan’s hatred filled eyes, and she couldn’t help but start crying, whimpering in pain and mumbling that it wasn’t her, that she didn’t want to do it, that something made her do it, that she was sorry, that she was worried for the phoenix fairy. Her wet mumbles had gotten so loud that they woke Hyruvim, making him crawl over into her bed and hug her as tightly as he could, trying to be her rock and sanity. Yeji cried herself to sleep in his arms that night, and Hyruvim couldn’t help but pray that it would end soon and that Yeji and Ylva would be set free.

        Deities knew just how lucky he’d been to have gone after her when that shaman had tried to kill her.


	32. Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys^^ this is the next chap, coming right at u xDDD hope you enjoy, and as always, have fun xDDD

        Warmth. It’s something that everyone is seeking throughout their entire journey. It’s something that always manages to somehow reassure you that everything will be okay. It envelopes you in a safe cocoon and holds you tightly when you feel like you’re falling apart. When you’re holding the one that you love in your arms, you feel as if you could conquer the world, move mountains and reach the moon. You feel as if everything is possible, and every dream can come true. You are no longer a lost boy, searching for Neverland, but Peter Pan, who’s found his Wendy.

        Warmth was something that always soothed Hyunjin. He always felt comforted whenever he cuddled with Jisung or Felix, because they wore this sort of warmth with them, covering him in a safe cocoon. Seungmin’s warmth felt different, for a very obvious reason. His skin wasn’t as hot all the time as a fire fairy’s, but it held its own warmth that always sent Hyunjin’s heartbeat skyrocketing.

        He blinked his eyes open with great difficulty, wondering why he felt incredibly hot and barely remembering where he was. His sight cleared, eyes taking in the warm body that was closely pressed against his, face tucked in his chest and hand resting lightly over his waist. He tried to move his fingers, his hand asleep from having kept it in the same position. When he saw his phone barely clutched in his hand, he remembered how he and Seungmin had returned a lot earlier from the get-together just to laze around in Hyunjin’s room and play games together. Sooner rather than later, Seungmin had fallen asleep and had somehow drifted closer to Hyunjin. The get-together had been fun for the both of them, but at some point, the music got too loud and tiring, the dancing students consuming away their energy. Seungmin had suggested that they leave early, Hyunjin instantly agreeing and opening his phone to search through the App Store for the game that he’d gotten sick off but Seungmin loved; maybe they could play it while lazing around in his room.

        Staring down at the peaceful changeling in his arms, a gentle smile curved Hyunjin’s lips upwards, his mind drifting off to thoughts about how natural everything he did with the other felt. It came as a shock when he first realized that the feelings he’d been harboring for the other were not meant for a friend, but for a lover. Somewhere along the time that they’d spent together, Hyunjin had started to look at the other with different eyes, not even realizing it until the thought of kissing the other had passed through his mind. He was a lot more laid back than his brothers, mainly because he chose not to get as worked up as them about everyday tasks. He just enjoyed the nature as much as he could, enjoyed the love that he gave and received from his brothers and practiced his magic. There needed to be someone that was calm and collected at all times, and besides Chan, he wanted to consider himself as someone like that. It was like a ritual that always filled his veins with security and balance. Seungmin was like a needle, disrupting that balance with the feelings that he awoke in Hyunjin. It wasn’t a bad thing, not necessarily, but it made Hyunjin feel scared, afraid of change, afraid of not adapting correctly…but his fears were instantly crushed away when he realized that he could recognize himself in Seungmin’s eyes. Mainly, the loving look. He wasn’t alone in this.

        Seungmin and Minho had gone through almost the same treatment back in the Dark Realm, from all that Hyunjin knew, but as opposite to the way Minho treated his relationship with Jisung, Seungmin didn’t reject Hyunjin’s small advances as a means of protecting him. Hyunjin couldn’t really figure out why, since he’d thought that Minho and Seungmin shared the same ideas regarding friends and the Dark Realm, but he was soon proven wrong by Seungmin’s actions. It made hope bloom in his chest.

        He looked down at the other’s sleeping face, giggling quietly at the sight, hand subconsciously going to hug the other closer to him. Seungmin didn’t wake up, but he moved closer to Hyunjin when he felt the other’s hand going around him, pushing his face more in the other’s large shirt, body going even more lax under the other’s touch. Hyunjin smiled warmly and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on the other’s ruffled locks, burying his face in his hair and tightening his embrace around the other, now awake arm going to hug him too. He could feel a pleasant scent of cinnamon and of pine trees right after a heavy downpour. It soothed him, his eyes closing in as the warmth engulfed him. He really did love this specific warmth.

****

        Hyunjin was woken up, maybe an hour or so later, by a light tapping on his shoulder. Seungmin had turned around at some point, Hyunjin’s hand almost slipping from around the other’s waist. Looking around with bleary eyes, he found Chan’s curly hair, instantly recognizing him after it. The other looked tired and worried, bags under his eyes and a frown on his lips. He signaled for him to keep silent and follow him. Hyunjin nodded, looking back at Seungmin once more, trailing a finger gently over the other’s cheek and smiling when Seungmin’s nose twitched at the probably ticklish feeling.

       Chan waited in the hallway until Hyunjin exited the room, beckoning him over to the office room where Jeongin…was holding a tired looking Felix in his arms, tear streaks running down his cheeks. Woojin was seated next to them, a hand placed on Felix’s shoulder, while Jisung was nowhere in the room, and now that he realized it, Hyunjin couldn’t sense him in their apartment either.

        “Jisung is outside, preparing the car.” Woojin said, having sensed the other’s confusion. The half nixie looked just as tired as Chan, and the worry that Hyunjin found in his eyes made him start to worry.

        “Preparing the car? Why? Did something happen?”

        “Yes. There’s a quite big group of demons downtown and seeing as you, Felix and Jeongin have a lot more difficulty than me and Jisung in masking your scents, I’m sending you home until we deal with the group or they go away on their own.” Hyunjin’s mouth opened, ready to speak back, but Chan was faster, placing a hand on the other’s cheek. “Trust me, this is best.” Hyunjin couldn’t argue with the other’s stern gaze, head drooping down. He heard Jeongin sniffing a little, dragging his attention back to the two on the bench. Felix looked so tired it felt as if he would be falling asleep at any point. Why did they look so upset? Was there something that he didn’t know? Jisung opened the front door as quietly as possible, but they heard it, Hyunjin and Chan turning to look at the office door.

        Jisung looked wrecked, his shirt messed up a little, hair sticking out in all places, hands dirtied a bit with black oil. He wiped them on his jeans before going over to them.

        “I see you woke up the nymph.”

        “Hey, I told you not to call me a nymph, firefly!” Hyunjin scolded the younger, grabbing his nose with his fingers. His attempt at changing the sullen atmosphere worked, Jisung swatting at his arms and smiling with a protest, Chan shaking his head with a small smile. It didn’t last for long, especially when Jisung saw Felix. He hurried over to the other, crouching down in front of him.

        “Fe..?” He spoke softly, the other opening dark eyes at him. There was no trace of his fire now, his eyes darker than usual. Even with a charm on, his eyes always held a certain golden glimmer, but not now. It worried Jisung, especially because he had no idea why the other was so upset, more so than Jeongin and Hyunjin, so he couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t just because they were leaving. Felix raised his arm in an attempt to pinch the other’s cheek and say that he was stupid for looking at him so worriedly, but then he settled his fingers in his locks, smiling weakly.

        “Here to carry me, prince?” Jisung huffed a chuckle, turning around so Felix could hop on his back. Besides being upset, he was tired as well. Jisung secured his hands under Felix’s thighs, making sure that the other was holding on to his shoulders before going out. Felix allowed his head to fall against Jisung’s shoulder, forehead digging into it. It made Jisung smile at the familiar gesture, years of carrying the other back from strange places in which he fell asleep coming back.

        Once they were out of the room, Hyunjin turned to look at Jeongin. “Why is Felix so upset?” Woojin sighed from beside the two tribal fairies, feeling a little guilty with knowing that neither Hyunjin, nor Jeongin knew about the real reason and about the fact that Changbin is a hybrid. From behind Hyunjin, Woojin saw Chan throwing him a reassuring smile, trying to convey to him that he wasn’t alone in this. Woojin nodded subtly, focusing back on Hyunjin and Jeongin.

        “He and Changbin kissed and now he has to leave, not even knowing for how long. I would be upset too.” Jeongin explained, drying his eyes and getting up. Hyunjin nodded, already feeling the guilt sinking in low in his gut.  He was supposed to be the older one, the one to know when something happened and be ready in case things went wrong. He was so focused on his own thoughts that he ended up jumping a little when Jeongin poked his stomach. “I’m not saying it to make you feel guilty for not knowing.” Jeongin’s grin was foxy, making him ruffle the other’s hair with sharp moves, laughing at the look the other threw his way.

        Jisung waved them off as they left with the truck, Chan driving this time to avoid Hyunjin bumping in anything like they almost did a while ago. As soon as Hyunjin got inside, Felix cuddled up to his side, wrapping his arms around him. Hyunjin held him so close that the other was almost in his lap, hiding his face in his blond locks.

****

        _Red eyes glared into his soul. Golden eyes smiled towards him. He could feel the protectiveness oozing off of the one shielding him from the weird creature, the menacing air from the other pricking his skin, urging him to fight the dark shadow. The creature left, all of a sudden, and the one in front of him turned to face him. He felt a hug and then…_

Changbin jolted in his bed, heart racing and eyes wide. _What_ was _that?_ Why had he dreamt about a fairy Felix protecting him from something that would resemble the perfect description of a demon? He could remember the dream in detail, almost as if it’d happened in real life, but that couldn’t have been. He had gone to the get-together, kissed Felix and then… _What did I do after that?_ He couldn’t really figure out what had happened afterwards, although he somehow remembered sleeping against Felix’s side on a couch, so maybe the other got him home at some point?

        He remained in the bed for a few more minutes just staring at the ceiling, not really believing what’d happened last night. He’d actually kissed Felix and had his feelings reciprocated. His heart was beating so fast, it was a miracle it was still inside his ribcage. He felt a smile blooming on his face as he remembered the way Felix hugged him, the way he smiled through their kiss. Changbin brought up a hand and lightly rested his fingers on his lower lip, marveling at his memories.

        Brushing the slightly sweaty locks out of his eyes, Changbin pushed himself off of the bed, stumbling a little as he grabbed a shirt to wear. It was still quite dark outside, and his clock had fallen a few days ago so he couldn’t really tell the time without checking his phone. He didn’t know where that was _either_. Sighing, Changbin pushed against his door and walked out into the hallway, looking around for anyone that was awake. The kitchen lights were on, thumping sounds coming from it. He walked over, leaning against the doorframe to see a sleepy Minho hustling around the stove and counter, apparently searching for something, teaspoon in between his fingers.

        “Morning.” Minho jumped and turned to look at the new presence, smiling and saluting him in return. Changbin couldn’t help but notice how tired the other looked, his hair a mess, the silky blue robe over his clothes a little off his shoulder. “You okay? You look tired.”

        “Thanks, you look very fine yourself.” Minho’s sarcastic comment surprised Changbin, especially when the other quickly looked at him with an apologetic look, almost as if he’d reacted out of instinct. It worried Changbin. “I’m…sorry. I am a bit tired. I don’t know why though.” Changbin frowned, Minho’s words sounding a bit off to his ears.

        “That’s…okay? I mean, it’s not okay that you’re tired, but it’s…y’know what I mean.” Minho nodded, excusing Changbin of his sudden awkwardness. “How about you sit down and I make coffee?” Minho nodded with a sigh, releasing the teaspoon that he was holding onto the counter with a loud click, dropping down in one of the chairs. He couldn’t believe the way he was acting, most probably making Changbin worry. Minho just couldn’t get over his guilt from altering Changbin’s memories. It was as if the night where he met Jisung was happening all over again, the guilt even more prominent since he’d promised himself that he would never alter memories again. “Here you go.” Changbin handed him a cup of coffee, sitting down next to Minho and sipping from his own. He looked well-rested, although there was this certain look in his eyes that made Minho wonder whether something had happened.

        He could feel the pressure in his throat, the need to admit to the other that he’d altered his memories, no matter how hard he tried not to think about it.

        Just when Minho opened his lips to admit to his sin, Changbin spoke. “You know, I had the weirdest dream.” Minho shut his mouth and stared at Changbin, not really knowing where this was going.

        “About what?”

        “I dreamt that a…demon maybe? I don’t know what it was, but it attacked me and Felix was there to defend me? I don’t know, it felt really real and weird.” Changbin was lost in thought, staring through his coffee mug.

        “Yeah…weird.” Minho felt his heart race. He’d had the suspicion that a hybrid would be a lot stronger than him and could overpower his spell, but he’d hoped that the seal would help in maintaining it. Apparently, he wasn’t allowed to hope too much, seeing as the seal was barely holding on. Changbin had to be a really strong hybrid to be able to overpower Minho’s spell that much.

        “Speaking about weird stuff, why didn’t you wake me up to train?” Changbin looked up at Minho with a small frown, finding that to be very worrying of the other. No matter what they’d done the evening before, Minho would always wake Changbin up to train, holiday or no holiday.

        “Stuff happened and I needed rest. Sorry.” Minho had no other excuse, so in his panic, he tried to take the attention away from the matter at hand by guilt-tripping Changbin. The other’s eyes widened, making Minho sigh in relief. He’d gotten him.

        “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think that you could be tired.”

        “It’s fine, really.” Minho couldn’t tell the other that he’d been enchanted by Felix to sleep. Under a spell as strong as Felix’s, Changbin wouldn’t have woken up even if Minho had gone over to his room with a thousand trumpets and drums. The university could collapse and Changbin would still sleep through it all.

        They remained in silence after that, Minho relapsing into thoughts about what kind of demon his parent was, about what rank they had, but he just couldn’t think of anyone. Actually, he could think of someone, but it felt weird to even consider the possibility, not because said demon was evil, but because he’d never ever considered having kids during Minho’s stay in the Dark Realm.

        Changbin, on the other hand, was lost in his thoughts, wondering where Felix was now, although it was quite early in the morning, so he was most probably asleep. He couldn’t wait to talk with him again, now that he knew the other liked him as well. He wanted to ask him so many things, but they would have to wait until the other was awake.

        When Changbin got up from his seat, saying that he would be in his room writing lyrics, Minho waited for a total of two minutes before he bolted out of the kitchen and out the front door, having made up his mind. He was going to tell Chan.

        The door to apartment 77 was unlocked, much to Minho’s surprise, the amount of energy that he would always feel around the apartment, dimmed. He closed the door behind him, taking in the darkened hallway before walking through the hallway, taking small steps towards Chan’s room. He waved to Woojin when he passed in front of the kitchen, the half nixie looking up from a book to smile at Minho while his fingers continued to make stirring motions towards two cups of tea, the sticks moving on their own.

        He knocked on the door twice, stepping inside to find Chan at his desk, a pencil behind his ear, pen in his hand and notebook in his lap. There were ink smudges on the other’s cheekbones and forehead, scribbling all over his inner wrists. He was leaning into the back of his chair, two of its legs touching the ground while the other two were in the air. It made Minho worry, because at the angle that Chan was sitting, the chair would surely collapse if the other’s balance shifted even a little bit. His golden eyes looked up at Minho when he entered, tired glance going over his face questioningly.

        “What are you doing?” Minho began, not wanting to worry the other from the very beginning. Chan heaved a sigh as he threw another glance at his notebook, the tired lines all over his face creasing.

        “I’m trying to write the lyrics for a new song, but it just feels as if the words are just not right for what I wanna get. What are you doing?” Chan questioned, rubbing his eyes tiredly and yawning. His desk was a mess, the lights above flickering from time to time as if the light bulb was only a few ways from exploding from overuse.

        “Uhm...You see...There's something I knew but never told you and it's something really important and I might need help protecting him.” Chan’s eyes widened, notebook dropping onto the desk.

        “Him?”

        “Changbin. He's a hybrid and he has a seal placed on him.” At that, Chan’s chair tipped over just as Minho had predicted, Chan thumping down onto the ground with a grimace. His eyes were still fixed on Minho, instantly asking how the other had figured it out. “Something happened last night and Felix asked me to alter Changbin's memories so he wouldn't remember but he still does... Well, he doesn't really remember _them_ , he only dreamt the exact same events. He's very strong if he can overlap my spell like that.” Minho explained, fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt, eyes glued to the ground. Chan rubbed his elbow where he bumped it into the ground when he fell, frowning with barely concealed surprise.

        “I... Knew?”

        “What?”

        “I knew that Changbin is a hybrid. I just…didn't know you knew too. Felix left early this morning with Hyunjin and Jeongin because of the demon horde downtown. He said he didn't want to scent Changbin unwillingly and endanger him.” Minho’s eyes widened, shock freezing his body. In such an advanced stage of bonding, it was more than dangerous for Felix to stay away. Minho learned about the magnetic bond after he found Felix loitering around the campus with a worried look in his eyes, saying that his head hurt and that he was worried about Changbin. Minho couldn’t really find a connection between Felix’s headache and his worry for Changbin, until he remembered how, earlier that day, he’d opened an oven door without looking behind him, and since the oven was quite high up and Changbin was a shorty, well…he’d hit his head. It didn’t take him long to realize that the two had a magnetic bond.

        “Changbin cannot wait to talk with him...What are you going to tell him?” Chan got up from the ground, grabbing his pen off of the floor and throwing it onto the desk with a sigh. He took the other pen from behind his ear and threw it with deadly precision towards the light switch, plunging the room in darkness just before the light bulb exploded. Minho flinched a little, turning his face away from the bulb’s direction while a strong current circulated through the room, gathering the shards and sending them into the trash bin.

        “I guess I'll just tell him that Felix and the others were called in by some relatives and they won't be coming back. For a week maybe? I hope that works.”

        “It should work, but I'm more worried about how we're going to get rid of the demons. Do you have any plan?”

        “Not yet.” Chan pushed his curly locks out of his eyes, walking through the darkness towards the door. “But I will have one.” He didn’t get to take even one more step towards the door until a hand was pulling him back by the collar of his shirt.

        “You, mister, are not going anywhere. You look like a zombie right now, and while looking like that, you won’t accomplish a single thing. Sleep.” Minho pushed Chan towards the bed, the other falling with a thump, his air leaving his laugh in a small laugh.

        “Yes, Mr. Bossy.”

        “Ya, I’m older than you.” Woojin shook his head from the kitchen at Minho’s sassy remark, a smile hidden by the sage cup of tea. Maybe he should approach Minho’s technique next time he needed to drag the other away from work.

****

 

        Seungmin started to fidget around in the warm bed, his eyes slowly opening to look around. His senses told him that he was in Hyunjin’s room, the scent of the other lingering around, comforting him. He felt well rested, his eyes closing again at the warmth of the blanket around him. He really didn’t want to get up, especially now that his nose made contact with the cold air in the room. His eyes opened wide when he realized that there was no Hyunjin in sight. _Maybe he woke up earlier?_ Seungmin got out of the bed and dragged his feet over to the kitchen, goosebumps appearing all over his body as his socked feet made contact with the cool wooden floor. He didn’t find Hyunjin in the kitchen, but Woojin, the older drinking tea and reading from a book that seemed quite old.

        “Good morning Woojin. Do you know where Hyunjin is?”

        “Hyunjin left this morning with Felix and Jeongin over to the house to stay there for a short time.”

        “Really?”

        “Yeah. Felix wanted to leave so he... wouldn't endanger Changbin by scenting him while a horde of demons was nearby, and Chan didn't want him to stay alone, so he sent them as well.” A horde of demons? That was new. He’d been with Hyunjin a few days ago to the Crimson Sea District and Blutige knew nothing of something like that. It would only mean that they arrived recently in Seoul.

        “Is Changbin alright?”

        “I didn't get to talk with him yet. I guess we'll see him later? I heard from Chan that they would meet up today to write for a new song and check out the base instrumentals, so we’ll check up on him then.” Woojin clarified, although Seungmin could see that he was worried for Changbin just as much as he was. It would most certainly feel strange for the other to learn of Felix’s disappearance.

        “I see...”Seungmin muttered, fiddling around the kitchen with the instant coffee and a cup. It was rather quiet, the scent of cinnamon and sage tea filling the kitchen, the cold air seeping inside from the hallway, making Seungmin shiver. He tensed the muscles around his throat, activating his fire glands so he could warm himself up, but before he got to do that, Jisung appeared in the doorway out of nowhere, knife in hand and glistening sunset colored eyes. Woojin jumped a little when he saw the other, tea sloshing in his cup and barely avoiding spilling over the book. He stared at the fire fairy, taking in the beautiful small black blade that Jisung was holding onto, golden and blue handle glinting in the pale white light.

        “I've got this Seungmin, so there's no need for you to use your dragon skills.” Seungmin watched as Jisung scratched the kitchen wall with the knife, engraving the Ignis rune in it, before muttering a soft spell. A warm wave was sent throughout the entire room, Seungmin shivering again due to the sudden change while Woojin sighed at the warmth, no longer feeling the cold biting at his skin. Jisung muttered a _you're welcome_ with a wide smile before continuing down the hallway, marking the other rooms as well. Woojin couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the area surrounding the rune turn black, knowing just how Chan would react when he would see it. Seungmin threw a questioning glance his way and said nothing as he sat down with his coffee, burying his nose in his sweater despite the now warm atmosphere.

        Upon looking twice, Woojin realized that Seungmin was wearing one of Hyunjin’s sweaters, an older one that the water fairy loved and felt very comfortable in. No wonder he had his nose buried in it. A laugh almost escaped the half nixie. Almost.

        “What are you reading?”

        “Ah, this? It’s an old book I received from a Kitsune family a few centuries ago about changelings. I was actually reading about Skygers right now. Did you know that dragons can heat up the end of their tails during a fight?” Woojin’s eyes were glistening with excitement at learning something new. Seungmin’s eyes widened as he got up from his seat, going over to Woojin to look over his shoulder at the book.

        “Wow, I never knew about this. How am I even supposed to warm up my tail?”

        “It says right here. You’re supposed to concentrate only on your tail and nothing else. And, if that doesn’t work, you can always blow fire over your tail…? That seems dangerous.” Woojin frowned at the opened book, fingers ghosting over the paragraph as if the words would change. They didn’t.

        “Yeah, so it seems. Maybe I could give it a try sometimes?”

        “I can help if you want. You know, you’re not the only fire-breathing dragon changeling that I’ve met during my lifetime.”

        “No way…” Seungmin’s body was rigid, his mouth a thin line with disbelief.

        “Yes way. I have all day if you wanna talk.” Seungmin never sat down faster than he did then, fingers coiling around each other, back straight. Woojin smiled, teacher mode on.

****

        Jisung was playing a ballad song for the fifth time now, trying to get the high note perfectly, although it always felt as if he just couldn’t reach the height that he wanted. The note flew through his vocal chords, but it always ended up a pitch higher or lower than what it was supposed to sound, making him grip the pen between his fingers tightly. Jisung love to create emotional raps and deep lyrics, but sometimes he enjoyed singing. He loved singing. There were so many good songs out there that made him lose himself in the high notes, his sensible ears picking up each and every vibration of the notes.

        With his hands over his headphones, he replayed the song, singing along with the hook and grinning once he managed to hit the high note. The headphones covered his human ears perfectly, so Jisung didn’t really hear the door opening. He couldn’t have allowed himself to wear headphones over his fairy ears in fear of hurting them with the close sounds. He wouldn’t even need headphones if he used his heightened senses.

        Minho, having finished his talk with Chan, had been on his way to leave, when Jisung’s heavenly voice filled his senses, almost luring him to the other’s room. Intending on not disturbing him as he sang, Minho opted to lean against the doorframe and quietly listen on the other singing, smiling when he saw Jisung’s fingers twitching across his desk, sometimes moving up in the air to follow an imaginary trail of notes. Minho’s heart started to beat even faster when the notes became reality, no longer a piece of imagination. They flew throughout the room, golden notes upon five lines bending across the air from Jisung’s fingers, enveloping the dark room in a golden, almost reddish hue. His red lips parted in a silent gasp, brown irises tinting golden in the light. His fingers spasmed as the thought of touching the note flowing in front of his face surfaced in his mind. When his curiosity grew to be too much, Minho reached a single finger towards a lone note, jumping when Jisung made a strange sound trapped between a gasp and a moan, before quickly turning around to look behind himself. When he saw Minho in his doorframe, Jisung blushed a dark red, the room plunging in darkness as the notes disappeared into thin air with a golden dust.

        “M-Minho?” Jisung questioned in the silence, looking around the darkened room. Since he wasn’t using his fairy eyes, he couldn’t see a thing, not even his own fingers when he brought his hand in front of his eyes, so when he took a step to get up from his chair, he tumbled to the ground.

        “Jisung!?” Minho waved his hand in the air, gathering enough energy to create a blue orb that illuminated the entire room so he could find Jisung. The other was a sprawled mess of limbs on the floor, eyes scrunched shut and fingers tensed. Minho laughed, going over to his mate to get him up and stop him from wallowing in his unwarranted embarrassment. Jisung was still a little unstable on his own two feet, especially after he heard Minho’s laughter tearing through the awkward silence, so it didn’t come as a surprise for him when he stumbled and grabbed onto Minho’s front, the other falling with him as well with only a few means of attenuating the fall. Jisung expected a weight to settle over him, Minho’s, but it didn’t come. When Jisung opened his eyes, he realized that Minho kept himself from falling by propping his upper body on his elbows, his face ending up really close to Jisung’s. Minho suddenly exhaled, breath fawning over Jisung’s lips and fingers curling into the carpet. Jisung could feel the other’s warm body over his, could see the restraint in his eyes…hell, he could even feel it.

        Without wasting a second after realizing what he’d almost done yet again, Minho sprung away from Jisung, although this time, Jisung didn’t rage on, instead smiling and hitting the other’s shoulder weakly with a _Sorry, I was a_ bit _unstable._ That was an understatement and they both knew it, so laughing was the only natural response.

        “What was that back there?” Minho inquired after they remained for a few more minutes onto the floor, not looking at each other but not looking away either. Jisung, as if remembering about what led to them falling, blushed again, averting his eyes, shoulders tensing.

        “That was something that I learned to do from the sirens a while ago. Music magic. It’s really handy and beautiful too. How long have you been standing there?”

        “Long enough to know that your voice is really beautiful.” Jisung’s voice got caught in his throat, eyes finally meeting Minho’s, his heart melting at the fascinated look that he found aimed at him and at the warm, barely visible smile.

****

        The window felt cool against his cheek as he stared out the window, the barely lit sky illuminating the forest. He’d missed the view, missed the freedom of nature, but after spending so much time at the university, he missed the campus, the late nights out on the veranda, the coffee meetings at L7L…he missed them and it hadn’t even been a day from leaving. His eyes burned holes into the amber ward that he could see from his spot on the windowsill, before the direction shifted to Shiaj. He was flying around the front yard, as if he was patrolling it. There really was no need, since they were protected by the ward, but no matter how many times he or another pixie tried to convince him, Shiaj refused to come inside. Jeongin had said to him that Shiaj felt the need to patrol the area to feel safer, although even he seemed unconvinced regarding the sincerity of the other’s reason. Shiaj just felt the need to patrol the area and leave as much of his pixie dust around Felix in an attempt to numb the other’s natural senses so the bond wouldn’t hurt as much as it did.

        Turning away from the window, Felix looked at his two sleeping brothers, Hyunjin and Jeongin huddled close underneath a thick blanket on the soft carpet. They’d chosen to sleep together on the living room floor in front of the TV to keep Felix company and feel warm together. The November air was much harsher, cutting even through Chan’s reinforced ward. Felix had placed a warming up charm on the living room door, but its effectiveness was slowly wearing out.

        He could feel his skin tingling with the need to go back to Changbin. He hadn’t realized it back at the university, but now, in the shadows of his home, he realized how the bond strengthened during their kiss. Felix had scented Changbin and along with their first kiss, the magnetic bond that they’d been blessed with became stronger, tying them closer. It was almost unbearable to be away from the other, but he had to protect him even if it was the last thing he did. He sighed and hugged his knees tighter to his chest, resting his head on his kneecaps. He felt a few locks going into his eyes, tickling his nose, making him scrunch it up.

        From beneath the blanket, Hyunjin started to stir at the odd sensation flowing through his family bond. He opened his eyes a little, looking around the room to find Felix huddled against the window, gaze peering out into the shadows of the forest. _When did he get up?_

        Dragging the blanket away from his body and untangling his legs from Jeongin’s, Hyunjin got up and walked over to where the other sat, biting his lip anxiously, worried for the other. He knew it wasn’t healthy to keep mates apart, but it was Felix’s choice and he could do nothing except help him feel a bit better.

        “It’s not healthy to stay out in the cold like this.”

        “…sorry I woke you up…”

        “Nonsense, Fe. Come on, let’s get you back to bed. You can mull over Changbin in my arms under a warm blanket.” At that, Felix cracked a smile, body relaxing a little at Hyunjin’s teasing words. He leisurely got up from the wooden sill, dragging his legs over to Hyunjin, lower lip jutting out a bit. He was still upset, but Hyunjin was right: he _would_ feel a lot better next to their energies.

        Once underneath the blanket, Hyunjin wasted no time in dragging the other between him and Jeongin, caging his body in his arms to pull him closer to his warmer body. It worried Hyunjin even more when he felt how cold Felix’s skin was, colder than usual. He placed a hand against the other’s nape, pushing his face in the crook of his neck and tangling their legs, trying as much as possible to warm him up. Jeongin, who’d woken up when Felix returned, was now hugging the fire fairy as well, arms wound tightly around his waist and face pressed into his back.

        “We’re with you Felix. You’re not alone.” Jeongin muttered sleepily, rubbing his cheek against the other’s shoulder blade as if to accentuate what he was saying. Hyunjin nodded on his side, and Felix never felt as grateful as he did then.

        Hours later when the sun was up, he surprisingly woke up because he felt too hot squished between the two. At first, he thought it was only because of that, but then he heard his phone go off with the _new message_ sound. He didn’t know who it was, thinking that maybe Chan wanted to check in with them, or that Nayeon or Jihyo needed his help with something, but he most certainly did not expect a message from _Changbin._

**_From: Changbin_ **

_Hey Fe xDD I heard from Chan about where u r rn. I hope your family gets well soon and that you can still talk over the phone now. Can you? Also, I had the weirdest dream ever where you were a fairy and you protected me from a demon or something. It was really cool xDD_

        Felix’s heart started to beat so fast, it almost felt like it would burst out of his chest. He smiled and frowned at the same time, making quite the funny combination. He felt really happy to at least be able to speak with Changbin over the phone, and worried about what he read in the message. He knew that Chan was going to tell the other a plausible reason for why he was missing, so that wasn’t what worried him; it was the last part of the message. _If he remembers altered memories through dreams, then that must mean he’s a very strong hybrid._

**_From: Felix_ **

_Yeah, it does sound cool^^ I can still talk. In fact, I wanted to call you, but service is pretty bad here. I’m glad you can get my messages._

**_From: Changbin_ **

_How are you feeling?_

**_From: Felix_ **

_I’m alright…although I miss you a lot already._

**_From: Changbin_ **

_I miss you too…I keep having these strange sensations from a few hours ago now, and they’re kind of weird. It’s as if I’m burning all over, but I’m not having a fever? Minho said it’s fine but he looked worried so I don’t believe him._

Felix was more than certain that what Changbin was feeling was their newly strengthened bond. He could feel his heart tighten at the thought of Changbin’s seal weakening so much that he got to feel almost everything that their separation caused.

**_From: Felix_ **

_Take care of yourself Binnie, or else I’m going to scold you._

**_From: Changbin_ **

_Grrrr xDDD_

        He would never understand how a single onomatopoeia could send his cheeks flaming up.

****

        _“Try to close your eyes, maybe that would work.”_ Changbin muttered to himself, tossing and turning from side to side in his bed. He closed his eyes, stayed like that for a total of five minutes, before twisting again, annoyed frown making its way on his face. That awful feeling had grown so much over the last three days that it made Changbin’s skin itch, urging him to do something but he just couldn’t figure out what. It was as if he was missing a piece of puzzle, and to make it even more frustrating, it felt as if that piece was either a corner or the very middle.

        Giving up on any further attempt at falling asleep, Changbin got up from his bed and walked straight out his door and into the hallway. He tripped into the outer carpet, cursing at the textile, before heading towards the veranda. He would always go out there whenever he felt weird, because he always knew that Felix would appear. Now that Felix was away for the week, and maybe for even longer, Changbin found no soothing in staying out on the veranda.

        “You a vampire, shorty?”

       “Who’re you calling a shorty, squirrel?” Changbin huffed, looking up at a very awake Jisung. “I would say you’re a vampire too.” The other came out from behind a pillar, grinning widely. Of course he was surprised that the other would come to the veranda at such a time in the night, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, too relieved to have someone with which he could talk. With his hands shoved in his pockets and hood pulled deeply over his eyes, Jisung nudged Changbin in the direction of the exit.

        “Come on, we’re going out.”

        “We are?”

        “Yes shorty, we are.” Jisung teased, dropping his elbow on the other’s head, making Changbin swat at his arms and stick his tongue out at him in complete childish behavior. They walked slowly through the cold night, feet tracing back to the 24/7 store that always seemed to be perfect for midnight rendezvous like this. As usually, Changbin walked around the light post right across the store while Jisung balanced upon the sidewalk, smiling sheepishly to one another when Jisung lost his balance and Changbin almost bumped into the pole from not paying enough attention. Moments like these brought his world back underneath his feet, grounding him into reality.

        Once outside and on a bench with two cans of coca cola, Changbin decided to open up his heart about what was keeping him from sleeping, digging his soles into the gravel and staring at the night sky.

        “I miss him.” His voice trembled slightly, pressure building up in his chest again. Jisung looked up at him from where he was leaning with his elbows on his knees, brows drawing together and lips twisting in a frown.

        “He misses you too. In fact, we all miss him, but he’ll be back, Binnie. There’s no need for you to be upset. Felix would have your ass if he would find you out here like this.” Jisung’s hand felt reassuring against his shoulder, but his hug was what broke Changbin’s tenseness. He leaned in the others warmth, finding solace in his friend. “I thought about a cool adlib for our new song a few hours ago, wanna hear it?”

        “That’s why you were up earlier? Of course I want to hear it.”


	33. Lost pages #7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYSS THE WHOLE ALBUM IS A BOP AND EACH SONG IS MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE xDDDD honestly, this album is so great, and i think Insomnia and Voices might just be my favorite of the album haha^^^ Comment down which songs you like the most from the album ;)  
> Now, onto the chap, i'm truly sorry i didnt manage to upload on Sunday, bur i had a family trip and we also went to see relatives and that ish was tiring af. I had bad connection as well so it was hell. I do hope you enjoy this chap and as always, HAVE FUN hahahaha, life is too short to waste it on events that upset you. Think of the bright side instead.  
> Yours truly, K <3

 

**_Lost Pages #7_ **

**_Entry: Seungjin_ **

 

        “The spiral staircases are a part of Fae buildings meant for festivities. They have their use both in décor and space saving…” Seungmin mumbled, skipping a few more pages again until he found a more interesting topic. He was seated on the ground with his back against a bookshelf in Marolynn’s shop, Hyunjin off somewhere upstairs. The book that he’d picked revolved around multiple things, although he still had to find a topic that interested him.

        He found another paragraph, this one about pixies of demonic descent, his eyes widening when he remembered that Shiaj, Felix’s companion, was one. _Pixies of demonic descent are not, in contrary to many beliefs, of demonic **descent**. They do have dark blood in their bodies, but they are born with it, out of the fires created by the crater in the Moaning Caverns in the Dark Realm. In a way, these pixies and hybrids have something in common, meaning that their bodies integrated the black blood completely and turned it into something non-evil. The black blood does not control them, nor does it turn them dark. It only gives them more strength._

        Seungmin kept on reading through the paragraphs revolving around pixies, shocked by the amount of knowledge that he lacked. He heard footsteps approaching, but he didn’t pay any attention to them until a mop of black hair clouded his view. He only realized what was going on after Hyunjin was settled with his back against Seungmin’s chest in between his legs, book in his hands. Hyunjin sighed and cuddled more into Seungmin, opening the pages to his bookmark. Seungmin squeaked in surprise when he realized what’d happened, staring with wide eyes at the back of Hyunjin’s head. After a few moments of the other calmly reading from his book and not going anywhere, Seungmin relaxed and leaned back into the bookshelf, surprising Hyunjin when he pulled him with him, cuddling to his warm body, the large hoody that he was wearing turning him into a massive teddy bear for Seungmin.

        While Hyunjin continued to read from the image book about crystals and minerals, Seungmin picked another book from the chair beside him, this one about nixies and nixie demifae. _Demifae?_ It was the first time Seungmin heard of the term. Was that how half fairy and half nixie Fae were called?

        _Nixie Demifae are considered to be even more alluring than Sirens. They have the charms of Nixies and the capability of surviving away from water. While the Demifae can live away from it, they feel a lot thirstier for water than normal Fae, traits taken from their nixie parent. Nixie Demifae appeared before the separation into tribal clans, being one of the oldest in their class. They are also the wisest because of their ages, some of them even bearing strong mental capabilities depending on the finesse of their ancestors._

Seungmin jumped when he felt Hyunjin’s head hitting his collarbone, eyes closed as he almost fell asleep. He sighed and shook the boy awake, but Hyunjin wouldn’t budge.

        “I like staying like this. Please let me stay like this more.”  Hyunjin spoke softly, nuzzling his cold nose into Seungmin’s neck. He almost froze when he felt that, but then he caught the scent of pine trees slightly combined with calm waves, _their scent_. It directed a wave of serenity through his entire body, skin tingling with a feeling unknown to him. He leaned down and buried his face into Hyunjin’s fluffy, unruly hair, inhaling deeply, Hyunjin leaning even more into his side when he felt what the other was doing. He really loved being scented by Seungmin.

        They hung out in between the bookshelves for a few more hours, reading through books whenever they weren’t too preoccupied sharing stories of their pasts and enjoying each other’s presences.

        When they stumbled upon a playground around the edge of the district, Hyunjin started running towards the set of swings, eager to swing on them. He settled down and instantly started to sway, sending a massive grin towards Seungmin. Seungmin only chuckled, sitting down on the other swing to look at him. When Hyunjin kept on going at the same low speed, Seungmin got an idea, quickly getting up as the other swung forwards.

        “Whaa!!” Hyunjin shouted as Seungmin pushed him from behind, going so high he feared he would fall, but then, the swing started going down, Seungmin getting out of the way as Hyunjin started to swing forwards and backwards much higher. That was the closest he would ever be to flying and that thought made Hyunjin’s eyes sting a little. He didn’t allow his thoughts to bring his mood down, hollering and smiling at Seungmin.

        When he had enough of swinging, Hyunjin still didn’t get off, choosing instead to rest on the swing, staring up at the beautiful sunset. Seungmin was behind his swing at that point, playing with the chain that was connected to the plastic seat. Hyunjin grinned to himself and looked up at Seungmin, allowing his body to fall backwards against Seungmin. The Skyger looked down in surprise before he brought his hands forward, running them slowly up and down the length of Hyunjin’s arms. The colors blended across the sky, orange tinting into red, indigo and fuchsia waves bleeding through the clouds.

        Blue eyes stared into his, the lazy sun reflecting off of the sapphire orbs, lips twitching into a smile. Seungmin bowed down and settled a kiss over Hyunjin’s soft skin, basking in the other’s warm energy. Hyunjin sighed at the feeling of plump lips against his forehead, soaking up the affection from the other.

        Hyunjin was a calm and cyan sea, while Seungmin was the hot grains of sand that met him halfway, always there and unmoving from his spot beside him.

        “The sunset…”

        “I know.” The warm smiles that they shared in the quietude of the playground and in the softness of the wind spoke thousands of words, warmth enveloping them.


	34. Indigo smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise~~~ here's another chap xDDD

        Chan didn’t even get to open the door to their house before a ball of fluffy golden hair ran straight through it and at him, hands fisting in his sweater viciously. He stumbled, hands flying blindly to steady the both of them, floorboards creaking underneath their feet.

        “I’m gonna go crazy for real.” Felix chanted, leaning into Chan and whining. He was so cold that it shocked Chan’s skin when it went into contact with his own. A crazed Jeongin ran into the hallway, looking wildly after Felix before he realized that Chan was at the door and practically deflating with relief. Chan looked down at the shivering fairy in his arms, mouth opening to retort something in his shock, but a sudden weight growing more in his arms alerted him of the fact that Felix had _passed out._

        “What the hell happened?” He grabbed Felix around the waist and knees, hoisting him up in his arms whilst shutting the door with his foot, the wooden piece banging against the lock. Jeongin ruffled his hair in a messy attempt at straightening it a bit before answering.

        “He was hit by a fever this morning before his temperature lowered drastically. I tried my best to bring up his temperature but it’s impossible. It’s almost as if something is draining him. He was asleep a few minutes ago, but then he felt your scent and woke up. Hyunjin was the one in charge of cooking this time so I was to take care of him, as you can see.”

        “This time? How many times did he get a fever?”

        “…I think this might be the fifth, but the drop in temperature never happened before. Though it should be the last fever bout from what Woojin told me.”

        “I see.” Chan said, softly placing Felix down onto the makeshift bed from the living room and tucking him under the soft covers. He was still shivering, despite the mountain of blankets over his body, skin pale and freckles dimmed. Chan pursed his lips, brushing the blond locks out of the younger’s face.

        The magnetic bond that Felix had spoken to him and Jisung about at the beginning of the university year was the cause of his energy drain. He was sure of it. The bond was most certainly soaking up everything because he was away from Changbin. They really needed to bring up his temperature as much as they could.

        “Jeongin, I think we might need to bring his temperature back to normal using one of Hyunjin’s spells. You know-“

        “I’m on it.” Jeongin was fast on his legs as he rushed out of the living room and through the front door, heading out into the forest to gather the herbs needed for the enchantment. Hyunjin left the kitchen with a clatter of the frying pan against the stove, ruffled black locks and smudged flour on his face.

        “We should move him up to his room if you want to do _that._ It would be bad if we had to replace the sofa. Again.”

        “That’s a good idea.” Chan said with a grimace, rolling the blankets around Felix and turning him into a burrito, arms holding him in the air as Chan carried him to his room. Hyunjin followed soon after, rubbing the flour off of his face using his shirt.

        The room was completely dark, the curtains covering the windows entirely. Chan placed Felix down onto the bed and brought another blanket from his closet to cover him more when he saw him shake with a violent shiver. Hyunjin’s forehead was creased with worry, nail stuck in between his teeth as he nibbled nervously at it. Jeongin rushed back minutes later, finding Hyunjin and Chan standing around Felix’s bed ready for the spell. He threw the plants at Hyunjin and rushed back downstairs to gather rope, a lighter, a bowl filled with water and lavender leaves.

        “Should I stay at the foot of the bed, or…” Hyunjin started, confused about where he should sit, when Chan pulled him by the elbow at the end of the bed before going to Felix’s right, gesturing for Jeongin to go on the other side. He grabbed the mandrake, thistle and sage leaves, tied them together and grabbed the lighter from Jeongin before he set them on fire. Hyunjin’s eyes changed, the brown irises igniting into blue, the tips of his fingers dipping into the bowl and tainting golden as a red, almost indigo smoke started to brew from the plants. It gathered above Felix’s body before it separated into a complete circle over their heads. Felix’s eyes shot open, not focusing on anything, moving from side to side, golden irises casting over their bodies before settling on the smoke above him. He felt as if in a daze, the coldness in his body numbing. The smoke seemed to fill his lungs, clinging to his trachea and sinuses, burning his eyes. He felt his fingers twitch, muscles spasming with the reflex to grab at something, to ground himself.

        Hyunjin flexed his fingers, dragging them out of the bowl and extending his arms, eyebrows drawing together and mouth splitting into a grin. He looked as if he was possessed by something, and when he opened his mouth, a melodious chant started to spill from his vocal chords, the smoke igniting into a calming blue color. Jeongin started to sway a little, almost out of instinct when he heard Hyunjin’s voice. He was quickly steered back on the right track when Chan called out his name, his amber eyes warning Jeongin not to listen.

       Hyunjin had mastered hypnotic magic in the Fairy Realm, back when they were home, although he rarely used it. It wasn’t a healthy practice, and Chan always frowned upon those that used it foolishly, but Hyunjin never did so, marking him as the only exception. Using it, Hyunjin could simply trick Felix’s body and core into believing that he was warm, that he had enough energy to stay warm, thus making his body temperature grow on its own. This certain type of magic had immediate effects always. Whenever the water fairy used hypnotic magic, he entered a certain state between consciousness and dream, a state in which he lured everyone in just with a single word, making them listen to his voice and surrender. Even tribal fairies were affected by this type of magic, although not as much as normal fairies.

        Felix felt his body tense up all of a sudden, muscles coiling and burning, before a calming wave washed over him, his muscles relaxing, eyes shutting. He could feel the tips of his fingers and nose start warming up, the prickling sensation on his skin stopping altogether. The blue smoke disappeared from above when Hyunjin maneuvered the water out of the bowl, mixing up with the smoke and creating a small circular torrent around Felix’s bed. Jeongin looked hesitantly at Hyunjin before plunging his fingers into the torrent, eyes widening when the water around his fingers turned green, the smoke changing colors as well. Chan did the same, and soon enough, the torrent wore three colors, blue, green and amber, encircling Felix and illuminating the room in soft hues, casting light over the shadows that concealed their features. Felix was fast asleep by then, oblivious to the water that fell over the mountain of blankets and trickled down the floorboards. A pleased sigh left his lips at the added warmth, the bond no longer stinging as much as it used to. He instantly started to feel better.

        “…that went well.” Hyunjin said with a wide grin, wiggling his eyebrows at Chan. The other shook his head and pushed Hyunjin into Jeongin, huffing a laugh and walking out the door, saying that they were both treating everything too lightly. It was a joke, obviously, because it was better to focus on that rather than on the ever-growing worry in their hearts at the bad shape in which both Felix and Changbin were. Hyunjin followed Chan outside while Jeongin sat down on the edge of the bed, cringing when he felt his clothes soaking up the warm water. He ignored the weird feeling and dragged the blankets away, crawling underneath before placing them back. He was certain that his body warmth would help as well, so he cuddled close to Felix, giggling when the other pressed his no longer cold nose into his neck, tickling his skin. Jeongin threaded his fingers through the others wet locks, laughing when Felix complained in his sleep about his wet hair. He would be pissed when he woke up all drenched in water.

****

        “Are you really sure?” The library was quiet, except for the two arguing rappers, their heated argument bringing angry looks from the other students and librarian. Jisung wrecked his hair with his fingers for the nth time, glaring at Changbin.

        “I wrote that and sang it in my mind, of course I’m certain. Look, the hook can go like this, and then fall into this beat. It’s simple.”

        “It’s not simple for me. I think it would go better with this part right here.” Changbin outlined a portion of the track, playing it and pointing at the lyrics. “See?” Jisung dragged a hand over his face, suddenly realizing just how stupid and unwarranted their argument was, and the reason why.

        “Changbin…that’s the older version that Chan made.” Silence. They stared in silence at each other…before erupting into laughter. The librarian shushed them, sending fierce glares their way.

        “I can’t believe how stupid we were.” Changbin exclaimed, dragging the file and dropping it into the trash bin before grabbing Jisung’s USB and inserting it into his laptop, copying the recent version of the track. “I don’t even know how I ended up with that version. I think I was way too distracted at the time to realize that it was an older one.” Jisung frowned, mouth opening a little as if he wanted to comment on something, but then his eyes darted away, the thought leaving him.

        They continued reading and rapping through the recently written lyrics, settling for the most comfortable and best rhythm and flow. Everything went fine, Jisung ignoring the off feeling that something was wrong, until Changbin suddenly shook his head, eyes unfocused while Jisung rapped to one of the parts along the tune playing in his headphones. Jisung dropped them onto the notebook, staring at Changbin from across the table. He reached forwards when the other started to tilt sideways, eyes falling shut.

        “Changbin!” He shouted, although his voice ended up being muffled because of his rushed moves to get to the other and catch him from tipping over completely. Changbin collapsed into the crook of his arm, arms shut for almost a minute before they opened back up, staring in confusion around him.

        “What…happened?” Jisung breathed a sigh of relief when Changbin spoke. He couldn’t know for sure, but a voice in the back of his mind told him that Changbin’s sudden blackout had to do with Felix’s absence. Now that he really thought about it, he could sense that Changbin’s energy was dimmed, pale even. Fingers tightening in the other’s sweater, Jisung closed his eyes and leaned his head against the side of Changbin’s in a half hug, muttering blessings to calm the other down. It worked, and soon enough, Jisung could feel the other’s presence grow stronger. It was so weird since Changbin was human and not energy-bound to Felix to need him close by… _or was he?_ Jisung couldn’t tell for sure. Maybe it happened because of Felix’s claim over the other?

        “You blacked out for a bit. Are you feeling alright now?” Changbin leaned back, squinting up at Jisung, the lights around suddenly too bright, before his eyes adjusted.

        “Yeah…I think I’m good now. Thanks.” Jisung’s smile was tight, bordering on worried, and that didn’t pass by Changbin. He himself had no idea why he felt so weak. It was almost as if he was being drained of all the strength in his body, and something told him that Felix was feeling the same. It was such a strange and new feeling. “Let’s just…focus on the lyrics. We’re almost done.” Jisung nodded although Changbin could see the concern laced deeply in his gaze, his entire body retelling that he didn’t believe Changbin one bit about him being fine.

****

        The sleepy sun reflected calmly into the mirror blue of the lake, silent and ethereal. The small ripples that disrupted the serenity belonged to small pebbles that were thrown into the water by flying crows as they played into the vast sky. The silence was soothing, healing, something Seungmin cherished with his entire being. It came as a surprise when Hyunjin disrupted said silence with a loud splash into the water, the surprise growing even more in Seungmin’s chest when he realized that he wasn’t fazed at all by that. He actually enjoyed the disruption just as much as he did the silence. Then, he realized how foolish he was for even being surprised: he was thinking about the one person that he held the closest to his heart, so there was no place for actual surprise in it, just love.

        Hyunjin surfaced, body twisting as his eyes searched for Seungmin, smiling when he found him resting on the wooden deck, legs dangling off the edge, hands clenched around the margins of the floorboards. His eyes shone with mischief as he swum over to Seungmin, only his eyes above the surface. Seungmin’s alarms started ringing at the back of his head, warning him of Hyunjin’s hidden intentions, but he didn’t want to listen to them. Maybe he should’ve.

        “Come and join me.” Hyunjin spoke softly, lowly, eyes peering up at the dragon with blue hues from behind lowered lids. Seungmin gulped, willing himself to look away from the enthralling irises. Huge mistake.

        “I don’t really get along with the water, Jinnie.” Hyunjin snorted, hand reaching out to caress Seungmin’s calf, making the other jump at the contact. Hyunjin didn’t look up, gaze following his own fingers along the smooth skin that peeked from behind ripped jeans. Seungmin was surprised to notice scales, glinting blue in the light, across Hyunjin’s exposed forearm, his fingers webbed together by a thin membrane. Upon looking closer, Seungmin realized that Hyunjin had _gills_ on either side of his neck, small indentations in it that seemed to move from time to time.

        Seungmin should’ve listened to his instincts, should’ve paid attention around Hyunjin. If he would’ve done so, he would’ve managed to escape Hyunjin’s sudden pull on his leg that sent him tumbling down into the lake, underneath the surface, sending ripples across the pristine water. He saw darkness underneath, the very few rays of sunshine too weak to illuminate more than a little of the surface. Seungmin looked around everywhere for Hyunjin, but the other was nowhere to be found. He sighed internally and pushed his arms and legs to reach the surface, gasping when he did so. The once calm water had waves rippling through it, the crows retreated back into their trees. Still, no sign of Hyunjin above the surface. It was almost impossible to spot him. This was his element, and Seungmin was trapped, surrounded by it. Despite all that he felt…exhilarated. He felt as though they were chasing each other in a never ending playful game each time a wave rippled through from somewhere else.

        Hands suddenly grabbed him around the waist as a body surfaced, vivid blue eyes staring into his soul, pointy canines exposed by a wide grin. Hyunjin felt so free, so happy to just be around Seungmin. He leaned closer, and when Seungmin thought that the other would kiss him, Hyunjin simply collapsed in his arms and buried his face in the other’s wet shirt, laughing. Seungmin’s heart skipped a beat at the wonderful sound, his hands tightening on their own accord around Hyunjin.

      “You should’ve seen your face when I pulled you under!” Hyunjin laughed, although some sounds were muffled by his shirt. Seungmin heard it all crystal clear, eyes widening and mouth opening in mock shock. Hyunjin looked up and pushed himself away from Seungmin when he noticed the other’s revengeful look. With a sound similar to _Yeek!_ , Hyunjin dove under the water and swum away, while Seungmin shouted for him to wait, chasing after him with a wide smile.

        They lost count of time as they chased each other, both above and underneath. The once peaceful and calm waters were now rippling with waves, agitated, just like the two Fae.

        “That was _awesome._ ” Hyunjin exclaimed out of breath as he leaned on his hands on the wooden deck, staring at the forest that spread behind the lake. His entire body ached from all the swimming that he’d done, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He enjoyed being chased by Seungmin, even more so when he would manage to drag the other down underneath and trap him in his arms, smiling wildly at him and speaking through bubbles of water, taunting Seungmin with the fact that he could breath and talk underwater while he couldn’t. Hyunjin wasn’t going to tell him about how one single kiss enchant from him would be enough for him to breath underwater. That was a secret for another time.

        Seungmin remained silent as he stared up at Hyunjin from where he was leaning against the wooden rail. He kept on dangling his feet, splashing the water around at times. There was something about the way Hyunjin’s slightly tanned skin seemed to glow in the sun with the water droplets trailing down, the rays of sunshine hitting Hyunjin’s irises with golden hues, the blue in them shining even more. There were blue tinted scales running down his jaw and neck as well, some decorating his temples,  the gills still there although they weren’t needed anymore since they were on ground. Hyunjin was… _ethereal_ in his eyes.

“I love you” Seungmin suddenly blurted out, breath getting knocked out of his chest when he realized what he’d said. The nervousness that he felt before whenever he thought about confessing to the other was ten times stronger now, his heart beating so fast he was sure Hyunjin could hear it.

        Throwing his head back, Hyunjin laughed, body shaking from the strength of it. Seungmin felt fear creeping up all of a sudden, thoughts that the other didn't feel the same filling his head. The fear disappeared just as fast as it came when Hyunjin turned to look at him with a warm smile, wet hair falling into his bright eyes. 

  
        “I know. I love you too.” They stared at each other, Hyunjin still smiling while Seungmin stared at him, frozen in astonishment, lips parted. He’d known, or at least he’d seen, here and there, signs that the other felt something that ran deeper than friendship for him, but to actually hear it? It was unbelievable pleasant.   
  
        “Can I kiss you?” Seungmin’s voice was soft, tentative, eyes widening ever so slightly with wonder and nervousness. He didn’t know why, but all of a sudden he felt shy around the other, new feelings taking him completely by surprise.   
  
        “Do you even need to ask?” Hyunjin questioned, dropping low and planting a kiss on the other's lips, marveling at the way Seungmin's eyes widened even more. He danced with his fingers across the wooden floorboard and then wrapped them around Seungmin’s slender wrist, other hand grabbing at his side to easily push him into the waters.  
  
        Hyunjin laughed when the sound of something splashing into the water reverberated through the forest, giggling when he saw Seungmin surface with a sad pout from where Hyunjin had pushed him in for the second time. This time, Seungmin wasn't having it, though. He paddled over to where Hyunjin was still laughing and propped himself up on the deck, leaning against his hand, grabbing at Hyunjin's shirt and dragging him in for a longer kiss, a sense of satisfaction rushing through him when Hyunjin’s laughter got replaced by a gasp of surprise. Tightening his fingers in the other’s shirt, Seungmin pulled Hyunjin into the water, away from the wooden deck. The water splashed around them, but the sounds fell on deaf ears as Hyunjin moved through the tied particles of hydrogen and oxygen just to get as close as possible to the other, hands enclosing around Seungmin's waist, pulling him in. Seungmin trailed his fingers over Hyunjin's arms, leaning into the kiss, into the others touch, sighing at the pleasant, calming shiver that went through his body. Hyunjin detached one hand from around his waist only to bring it up to his face, fingers softly tracing his cheekbone and jaw, plump lips dancing with his. The waves hit their bodies, the action violent, yet the touch gentle. Hyunjin’s body was so warm, his skin hot underneath Seungmin’s fingers, cold lips contrasting with said warmth.   
  
        Seungmin felt a shock running through his body when Hyunjin trailed his fingers over his spine, canines biting into his lower lip to keep from gasping as his energy went crazy overboard. Hyunjin ceased all movements and stared at Seungmin, worried that he'd hurt the other. Seungmin’s eyes were shifted, ears quivering for a reason unknown to Hyunjin. Seungmin waited until he had enough air in his lungs to talk.  
  
        “My...dragon side, it...reacted to your energy.” His eyes were wide and worried, surprising Hyunjin. What could possibly worry Seungmin when he was in Hyunjin’s arms?   
  
        “Reacted? What does that mean?” Hyunjin brought a hand to brush the wet locks out of Seungmin’s eyes with reassuring touches, revealing glowing green-golden irises and parted red-kissed lips.   
  
        “It...it means we're mated.” Hyunjin eyes widened, pupils dilating when he got a whiff of Seungmin’s scent. It was different, cinnamon and pine trees now combined with salt sea water and hot sand. He truly did belong to Seungmin now, traces of the other’s scent mingling with his own as well. The silence was deafening for Seungmin, his heart beating so powerfully he could almost hear it in his own ears.  
  
        “Hyunjin, I...I don’t know much about my own morphology, I…didn't know it would happen like this. Sorry if it was too-mphf.” Seungmin’s voice got cut off by Hyunjin’s lips, the other applying more pressure than he had before in their previous kisses, hands gripping almost possessively at the other’s hips. Hyunjin felt like chuckling and frowning at the same time, amused by Seungmin's cuteness and angered by his insecurity. Hyunjin really loved Seungmin with all his might and if the other ever claimed otherwise, he would prove him wrong. Smiling against the other's lips, he uttered those words again, his heart skipping a beat at the way Seungmin's eyes lit up with pure joy.

****

        The smell of freshly baked bacon and sizzling eggs woke Felix up better than any other alarm, his eyelids peeling open instantly, half of his body springing up on the bed. He was in his room, his door half opened, and curtains pulled enough to allow a few rays of light inside. They were pale, but they did their job of illuminating his surroundings.

        The sounds of pots clanking and curses brought a frown on his face, because he just couldn’t associate Jeongin with swear words. Hastily throwing his blanket away, he scrunched his nose when he realized that the thing was completely soaked in water, droplets hitting the floor the more he moved, the pit patter of them ringing against the silence. When he moved his legs and arms he felt his shirt and pants stick to his skin. An image of the almost indigo smoke and illuminated faces of his brothers came back into his minds along with the events that led to that happening. Of course he was wet. Jeongin would have to wait until he got rid of the water-soaked clothes.

        With nimble finger, Felix peeled the shirt off of his body, grimacing at the gross feeling. He threw it in the laundry basket along with his pants and underwear, before hopping into the shower. He felt a lot better now that his skin felt warm.

        Holding a pot lid in front of him, Jeongin flung the spatula at the sizzling eggs, trying to move them around the pan the way he saw Seungmin do. Another rushed curse abandoned his mouth as he almost dropped the spatula when the oil started to jump around, the sizzling intensifying. He’s never going to try making eggs, ever again.

        A deep chuckle came from behind him, startling him, the pot lid dropping to the floor, shattering. “Felix!” Jeongin screeched, staring at the shattered glass before looking up at the perpetrator. Felix laughed at Jeongin’s distressed look, taking the spatula from the younger’s hands.

        “Really Jeongin, you should’ve paid more attention.” He teased, brushing past Jeongin to move the eggs and salt them, before dropping the spatula onto the counter. “Thanks.” Felix looked up at Jeongin with a knowing smile, making the other blush. Jeongin had wanted to do something nice for when Felix woke up, something that would bring a little normalcy in the chaos that was still unraveling, although he hadn’t done quite a good job. Still, Felix saw through it all, so it wasn’t that bad.

        “You’re welcome.” Jeongin muttered, walking closer to the other and wrapping his arms around him. Felix turned to face the eggs while Jeongin remained glued to him, pulling the two plates closer to him so he could take them out of the frying pan.

        They played some 3RACHA songs on Felix’s phone while they ate, laughing whenever Changbin would make his infamous sounds of _yaw_ and _yoo_ , Jeongin remarking that he sounded really funny.

        “Where’s Hyunjin?”

        “If I’m not wrong, he’s out with Seungmin by the lake. I think something might’ve happened.”

        “Bad? Do we need to go and help them?”

        “No, nothing bad. I just felt this surge of joy through the bond. I think they confessed to each other.”

        “Really? That sounds … right? I mean, I thought they were already together from how they were acting all the time, so it’s not really a surprise.”

        “I’m not surprised and I bet the others won’t be either.” Jeongin provided with a small chuckle, digging with his fingers into the loaf of milk bread on the table and ripping it into two. From the ceiling, a bioluminescent huge plant hung, its primary leaves spreading across the entirety of it, younger, smaller leaves and stems flowing down like tresses. When Jeongin ripped a bite from the bread and tried to bring it to his mouth, a stem elongated out of thin air, snatching the piece away. Jeongin pouted while Felix fought to keep the smile off of his face. That plant would never budge from their kitchen ceiling and whenever Jeongin tried to eat something that would slightly feel tastier than normal food, the plant would snatch it away.  The nursing fairy had saved that plant from tainting outside of a fairy ward in the human realm, and ever since, it seemed to consider Jeongin its mother.

        “I think…” Jeongin began, Felix humming to let the other know that he was listening. “Did I tell you that I managed to shift?”

        “Shift?!”

        “In my fox form.” Felix’s fingers loosened around his fork, sending it tumbling down onto the plate, his eyes wide as saucers.

        “You did what?! And I find out just now?! Dude, that’s so cool!”

        “Krey helped me through it. It was really weird but I’m starting to get used to it. Actually, I wanted to ask if you could practice with me so that I would learn how to shift into a smaller size. Or, at least watch over me so I don’t do anything bad.”

        “Of course, Jeonginnie. Dear deity…I can’t wait to see your fox form now.” Felix’s eyes glistened golden in the neon blue light that the plant provided them with, the pale sun from outside reflecting off of the windows.

        Felix was way too impatient for his own good, Jeongin shaking his head when the other grabbed both of their plates to quickly wash them in the sink so he could see Jeongin shift. He walked over to the living room and crouched down so he was at eye level with the mark scribbled onto the southern wall, clawed finger dragging over it while Jeongin murmured softly underneath his breath. Outside, the wards shimmered, and suddenly, there was no more sun. Felix, having finished with the dishes, rushed outside to check what had happened, only to come up with nothing. Jeongin walked out of the house, laughing at Felix’s lost look.

        “I tweaked the wards a bit.”   

        “ _There’s no sun._ _Actually, there’s nothing._ ” Felix choked on his words, staring around at what seemed to be a void behind the wards.

        “Everything is where it should be, we just can’t see it. And no one can see us either. Technically, the sun is reflecting off of the wards, masking everything that is inside and plunging everything that is outside in darkness for us.”

        “When did you learn to do that?”

        “Krey taught me a few weeks ago.” The freckled fairy nodded slowly, staring at Jeongin with admiration. Jeongin simply knocked the other over the shoulder, rolling his eyes. “Come on, we don’t have all day and we don’t know when Hyunjin is coming back. He might flip it if he finds that the house is _gone._ ”

        “Hah, _that_ would be funny. Can we-“

        “No.”

        “Okay, worth a shot.”

        Felix walked around the complete darkness, having to strain to see even with his heightened senses. He shook his head, they couldn’t practice in complete darkness. Rubbing his palms together, Felix huffed a hot breath over them, watching with fascination as they caught flame. He’d thought that it wouldn’t work. With a snap of his fingers, flames shot across the ward, stopping short of breaking through it. The darkness disappeared, absorbed by Felix’s flame bulbs. Jeongin stretched and waited until Felix was seated on the soft grass before he crouched down as well, closing his eyes.

        The transformation felt easier this time, his body used to it, his core instantly providing him with enough energy to complete the change and take on his fox form. Green irises opened to stare at a shocked Felix. Jeongin strolled over to where Felix was sitting, pawing at his legs and pushing into his shoulder with his snout. Felix laughed incredulously, hand going up to pet the _massive_ black fox in front of him.

        “You’re huge.” Jeongin whined, although Felix couldn’t understand what he was saying. Annoyed, Jeongin tried to convey what he was trying to say through his family bond. “You want to do something?...Ah, you want to try and change your size now?” Jeongin nodded, well…he shook his snout in what appeared to be an affirmative nod from what Felix could see. The fox stepped away from him, tail wagging lightly before falling down as Jeongin sat, front paws digging into the ground as he stood straight, chest pushed out. “Do you have any idea about how the mechanics should go?” A nod. “Then how about you try it?” Felix didn’t have to wait for long, the air around Jeongin rippling as if he was emanating heat. He watched as the black fur changed, the tips turning white, before the shimmer around him disappeared. Nothing happened. Jeongin pouted, looking around himself and wondering what he’d done wrong. Felix frowned, getting up from his spot and walking closer to Jeongin. He reached forwards, fingers searching around Jeongin’s neck. When he found what he’d been looking for, he unclasped the thing and pulled it away, dangling it in front of Jeongin’s eyes.

        “You forgot to take this off, dummy.” Jeongin’s foxy green eyes went crossed for a second before he pulled his head away from the charm dangling off of Felix’s fingers. He whined and hit the front of his snout with his left paw, closing his eyes in embarrassment. Of course he couldn’t perform the spell if more than half of his powers were restrained. Felix chuckled and scratched the other behind the ear, laughing when Jeongin leaned into his palm before he straightened up, pushing away and pouting. “Try again now.”

        Felix stepped aside and settled back down onto the ground, watching as the air around Jeongin started to shimmer again. The fact that Jeongin could still do such strong magic with a charm on reminded Felix just how powerful the youngest of them truly was. Despite him being a nursing fairy, Felix never considered the other to be weak and in need of protecting, like how other warrior fairies from the Fairy Realm did. He’d been there that day, with Chan. That day when they’d found him in the Silver Forest. 

        Jeongin leaned onto his front paws, looking up at Felix as his body shrunk, the big black fox disappearing into a smaller, softer looking one. It was still bigger than any fox Felix had ever seen, but he was no longer too tall to pass through a small door. Felix jumped up from his spot, hollering with joy at Jeongin’s success. Jeongin looked up at him, wagging his tail impossibly fast and grinning through his sharp teeth. He pounced on Felix, although the shift didn’t last for long, changing mid-air into his big form, almost crushing Felix into the ground.

        “Ompf!” The heavy weight that suddenly settled over Felix stopped his intake of air, a chuckle somehow wheezing out of his throat at the same time when he felt Jeongin’s soft fur tickling his neck and collarbones. When Jeongin finally decided to get off of him with a proud look in his eyes, Felix barreled into him and buried his hands in the other’s fur, gushing over how soft he was.


	35. Evening endavor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and another xDDD

        Chan kept on walking through the halls of the university, his mind elsewhere, feet guiding him across the cement to their apartment on autopilot. His fingers tightened over the spine of his notebook, eyebrow twitching. He couldn’t stop worrying about Felix and Changbin, even more so after his talk with Woojin. The other had told him what he’d said to Jeongin, about how Felix and Changbin would both experience extreme emotions and energy withdrawal, as well as fevers, or, in Felix’s case, hypothermia. He really needed to find a way to get rid of those demons, because according to Woojin, if Felix and Changbin remained apart for longer than a week at most, they would get worse.

        “ _…Congratulations chukhahae man joreobhaesseo; geu maneun chukha sogeseo geuriwo halkkabwa ulkeokhae na mot utgesseo; nae kkume cheot balgwa iljunyeone chukha song_  
aesseo kkok neohireul saenggakhamyeonseo hwaljjak utgesseo  
Yeah smile.” From a room close to him, to his left, he could hear Jisung’s voice, rapping smoothly to their latest work, Start Line. He frowned, pace picking up. He didn’t recognize the room in which they were in, although it was quite close to the library, now that he actually glanced around. Maybe it was a music room?

        Both rappers stopped to look up at Chan, Jisung close to a microphone set while Changbin sat at the table right next to it, fingers frozen on Chan’s Akai MPK 2 Mini. Getting over his initial shock, Chan opened the door more, stepping in and shutting it behind him. “That was perfect.” He grinned, the boys instantly relaxing. Changbin was a lot more worried than Jisung, because he’d used Chan’s precious Akai    without asking beforehand. There was only one beat that sounded off to Changbin’s ears, so he wanted to rectify it without bothering the other so they could show him the finished version, but…he was already there.

        “I’m glad you like it. Sorry I took your Akai.”

        “It’s okay…this time.” Chan said with a wink, walking over to them to take a look at the tracks. “Everything recorded?”

        “Yup. We’re ready to even perform this if you want.”

        “Maybe at the newly opened pub downtown?”

        “That sounds like a plan. _Maybe like this I’ll be able to take my mind off of him._ ” The last part was muttered, but the two Fae with heightened senses heard each and every syllable. They both stared at Changbin with sadness, despite not knowing just how much he was missing his freckled boy.

****

        He couldn’t handle it anymore. Jeongin was asleep and Hyunjin was with Seungmin in the living room, watching a movie along with him, though he’d lost interest in it a long time ago. His skin was itching, burning to be close with Changbin, and the pressure was too much to stand, even with Hyunjin next to him. Both he and Seungmin tried to take his mind off of the rapper, but he just couldn’t. Sneaking away from the two, Felix left the living room, grabbing his phone along the way. He was sure both Hyunjin and Seungmin noticed him leaving, but they chose not to say anything and for that, he was thankful.

        He checked up on Jeongin, settling the blanket better over him, before he entered his own room to take a hoodie and a black cap.

        **_From: Felix_**

_Hey Jisungie, where are you?_

_**From: Jisung**_

_Hey Fe^^ I’m at a local pub, Dragonfly. We’re gonna perform there one of our new songs. What are you up to?_

_**From: Felix**_

_Nothing much xDD Have fun <3_

_**From: Jisung**_

_I will^^ Stay safe, Fe._

_It really was just my luck that Changbin would be performing tonight with Jisung and Chan,_ Felix thought, dropping his phone in his pant pocket and heading downstairs on light footsteps. Once he was out the door, he started running, hood covering his eyes and half of his nose. He wouldn’t be recognized by anyone if he hid his bright blonde hair.

        The streets were deserted, night sky isolated of the stars and moon. Felix grabbed the black mask from his pocket and snapped it on, grimacing at the polluted air that clogged his lungs. The pub was brightly illuminated for 7pm, teenagers pointing towards the big windows and giggling by the corners before walking away because they were too young to enter. Shaking his head at them, Felix pulled on his hood more and stepped inside when an older male opened the door to get out. He settled into one of the more retreated seats, far off from the stage view but close enough that _he_ could see.

        There were a bunch of student girls at the front, their cheeks flushed from too many drinks, giggling wildly behind their palms, elbows nudging each other whenever someone hot or relatively cute stepped on the stage to settle the equipment. Felix almost burst out laughing when one boy that was fiddling with the keyboard wires blushed beet red and dropped the outlet when a girl threw a kiss at him.

        The front lights dimmed all of a sudden, the boy rushing off the stage as a low beat started to filter through the speakers. Felix could recognize it as the base for Intro, although he hadn’t known that they’d be having a mini-concert. Chan was the first one to enter the stage, jumping around and agitating the crowd whilst winking shortly at the girls in an almost stiff motion and introducing Spear B and J.One. Felix shook his head at Chan’s behavior; he knew that it was all for the public, but for the deity’s sake, he had a mate. Woojin surely would’ve pulled the other off the stage and sneer at the girls before showing his claim over the other. Chan was just lucky Woojin wasn’t there. Fairies weren’t possessive in general, but when it came to their mate? There was nothing that wouldn’t turn on the possessive switch in a fairy. Felix started to worry for when Changbin would show up on the stage.

        Jisung was the next to go up, whistling and hollering at the crowd, the base for Intro slightly prolonged. When Changbin started to rap even before he showed up on the stage, Felix felt his entire body tense up at hearing the other’s voice. He could already feel the strain on the bond diminishing just by being in the same room as him. Changbin sauntered over to the stage confidently, rapping along to his lines from Intro, throwing a smirk at the entire crowd. Felix was proud to see that, despite the girls going even wilder than before, Changbin didn’t even throw a glance their way. He kept on staring through the crowd, almost as if he could sense Felix.

        Their new song played after, and Felix zeroed in on the lyrics as much as he could, translating each of the words as fast as he could. Chan’s English verse took Felix by surprise, the raw emotion when he spoke of their family causing a smile to bloom on Felix’s face. At the end of the song, the entire crowd stood up, Felix following as well to clap, keeping his mouth closed out of fear that Changbin would recognize his voice.

        He didn’t even need to speak, for Changbin somehow found his eyes in the crowd, his own widening. Gasping, Changbin dropped his mic, thank god it was closed, and started running through the crowd, eyes fixated on the black hoodie. Felix held his breath and took advantage of the dense crowd, running outside and behind a nearby corner. Changbin ran out a few seconds later, breathing heavily and looking everywhere around himself, wondering if he was going crazy and making up Felix’s presence to compensate. Felix waited for a few minutes for Changbin to go back inside so he could leave, but the other simply remained outside, leaning against the wall next to the door, a single whisper breezing from his lips. _Felix…_

        Felix’s eyes widened, the charm shaking at his throat as his eyes shifted, burning brightly, claws digging into the wall to keep from going out to his mate.

****

        Jeongin had been sleeping peacefully, until a nightmare rippled through his calm dreams. He tore himself away from the bed, blanket tangling with his limbs, sending him tumbling to the ground. With shaky breaths and sweaty bangs, Jeongin stared up at the ceiling, wondering if what he’d dreamt was a premonition or just a normal nightmare. Wanting to make sure himself, he reached out of the blanket and for his phone, opening his latest conversation with Yedam. He paled when he read the text that wasn’t there when he’d gone to sleep. _What would you think of me if I told you something about my family? Something I haven’t told you already…_

        Cursing underneath his breath, Jeongin untangled himself completely from the blankets and ran out the door, passing Hyunjin and Seungmin, who were sleeping peacefully onto the couch, Seungmin with his face buried in Hyunjin’s chest, the other’s arms wound tightly around him. Jeongin felt guilty for not waking them up to tell them where he was going, but he knew they deserved to rest.

        He shifted into his Kitsune form and started to run at full speed, following Yedam’s scent. It was almost impossible for him to forget the smell of cherries and eucalyptus leaves. The scent trail led him downtown, close to a residential area that he’d visited only once with Hyunjin when they were looking for a warrior fairy that they were supposed to help. He followed the scent to a back alley from where he started to hear heated voices.

        “ **You really mean to say that you have no business in this? You’re a part of this even if you don’t want to!”**

 **“** _I shall not take part in any of your sick and twisted killings. You cannot make me-“_ The sound of a slap vibrated through the air, so strongly that it made Jeongin’s own head turn to the side with a pained grimace. He could recognize Yedam’s voice, arguing with a lower one, most probably belonging to the one that slapped Yedam. _“You need to stop with the murders. Please!”_ Yedam shouted at the person, holding his ground. Jeongin dared to peek from behind the wall, eyes widening when he saw a person dressed in similar clothes to the warlock that’d cursed a dragon downtown and killed someone at the same time. He’d seen him in one of the recent newspapers from Krey’s laptop. When the warlock raised his hand to slap Yedam again, Jeongin saw red, hind muscles tensing up as he pounced ahead in between Yedam and the warlock, pushing the Sangvine fairy out of the way. The warlock stepped back in shock when he saw the massive fox defending Yedam, a crazed laugh bursting out of his chest, eyes lighting up with mad glee.

        “ **Ah, but I never expected you to befriend such a rare and pricey Kitsune. Of the Yang bloodline no less… you would be quite pricey on the black market.** ” Jeongin growled at the warlock, claws digging into the ground as he pounced onto him…or at least he tried to, because Yedam suddenly had arms thrown around his neck, holding him back and crying out through tears.

        “Please don’t kill him! Please Jeongin!” Yedam pleaded, holding tightly onto the fox, eyes tearing up despite the building hate that he had for the warlock. He almost screamed when he felt Jeongin turn around and sink his teeth into his…shirt? He could feel himself being thrown up in the air before his body met the sturdy back of the fox. He gripped at the fur out of instinct, scrunching his eyes shut when Jeongin bolted out of the alley, the warlock shouting angrily after them. He buried his face in the soft, black fur, tears falling freely now that he was away from _him._

        Jeongin kept on running until he reached an empty hill close to the forest. He shifted, almost instantly, Yedam falling freely onto the ground before a heavy weight settled over him, Jeongin’s foxy eyes glaring into his as his fists bunched Yedam’s shirt up.

        “ _Why did you allow that warlock to hit you?! What business can you possibly have with him, to stop me from killing him?!”_ Yedam felt a shiver run down his spine from Jeongin’s icy voice. He had his fangs bared, sneering at Yedam with anger, although he could see that not all of it was directed at him. The coldness and harshness in Jeongin’s voice wasn’t what shocked Yedam…but the fact that the other wasn’t assuming that he was guilty of anything. Maybe he’d heard their conversation prior to bursting out from behind the wall.

        “He’s…he’s my uncle.” Yedam stuttered out, but upon seeing Jeongin’s still icy glare, he sighed, trying to move out from underneath Jeongin, the other not allowing him. He glared right back, not really understanding why Jeongin wasn’t _understanding what he was meaning._ “Ever since my parents passed away, he and my two aunts took care of me under my father’s wishes, and despite them hating me with their entire being, I couldn’t go against my father’s wishes of me having a family even after they passed away, so I was forced to attend so called _family meetings_ all the way back in Busan. My father had no idea it would end up like this. Even though he hates me, he helped me when I was in need because of the oath, so I…I…”

        “You felt the need to stop me from killing him.” Jeongin finished for him, sighing and going off of him, dropping down onto the grass. “I understand…kind of…but you shouldn’t allow him to treat you like that just because of his oath to your father. He should be exiled to the dark realm for his crimes. Or better yet, killed.”

        “I know. I almost always wish for that, but at the same time I don’t, because after I do, I feel guilty. It’s so sick and twisted of me…”

        “It isn’t.” Yedam looked sharply at Jeongin but the other was looking up at the clouded sky. “You were just mislead into caring for them, and no matter how twisted, family is still family and if I were to assume, the loss of your parents made you cling onto them no matter what they did, right?” Yedam’s eyes widened, his bright golden orbs glazing over with tears.

        “That’s true.” Yedam muttered weakly, lowering his eyes to the ground. They remained in silence for a while until Jeongin sighed and leaned up on his elbow, staring down at Yedam.

        “I’m not mad at you, just so you know. But I will kill him the next time I see him and you’re not there.”

       “At least I won’t feel as guilty.” Yedam tried a weak smile, but it didn’t work with Jeongin. He shook his head and dropped forwards, settling his weight over Yedam in a hug, arms going underneath him to settle over his back.

        “You’re so foolish.” Jeongin muttered, voice clouded by Yedam’s shirt. Shocked at first, Yedam stared at Jeongin’s dark locks before relaxing and raising his arm to thread his fingers through the other’s raven hair. Yedam felt his heart skip a beat for some weird reason when he heard Jeongin purr slightly, his chest vibrating, fluffy fox elongated ears quivering.

****

        _Flames. Fire burning everything and spreading everywhere. **He** followed a trail, burning through the hotness, clothing shredded and eyes tearing up. **He** recognized his surroundings, Seoul, or what was left of it. Walking a few more steps forward, he found the source of the destructive flames. A Phoenix, burning so beautifully and so brightly that **he** had to take his eyes away._

_Off to the side, he found a fairy collapsed and in tears, shaking with both anger and grief, glaring at what **he** assumed to be the ashes of a group of demons. Perhaps they were the cause of this. The phoenix moved, crying out in pain, red eyes opening wide as another wave of flames burst out from his wings. **He** shielded his eyes from the brightness, just as the Phoenix gripped at his hair tightly, upper body curling inwards as he screamed and screamed, wings tearing through the air as they turned a darker shade of red._

_“Felix!” **He** turned around quickly, staring at the collapsed hybrid on the ground. He had wide eyes, muscles desperately tensing up to try and reach the burning phoenix, but he was too injured to move, wings curling around him to protect him from the burning flames. He looked so desperate, so…lost. “Felix!” He shouted again in an attempt to bring back his mate, but it was all in vain. He-_

        “-hyung! TAEHYUNG!” He opened his eyes widely, breathing heavily, body shaking with the aftermath of the vision. Namjoon was leaning over him, hands still clenched on his shoulders from when he was shaking him awake. His orange, fiery eyes were wide, scared even. He’d never seen Taehyung react so violently to a vision, not even when he’d predicted Jungkook’s imminent death and had saved him. “Are you okay?!” Namjoon inquired, gently slapping Taehyung’s cheek in an attempt to bring him back completely. He still looked lost in his mind, in the vision. “Snap out of it!” Namjoon used _the command,_ his eyes burning a bright red, glaring straight into Taehyung’s white irises. With a loud gasp, Taehyung closed his eyes and leaned away from Namjoon, coughing and clawing at his throat as if he couldn’t breathe, as if he’d inhaled a lot of smoke. Namjoon rubbed his back soothingly, assuring him that it was all from the vision and that he was safe and no longer there.

        Namjoon stared with wide eyes as a portal opened in their living room, a frantic Jungkook passing through, along with Jimin. “Taehyung!” Jungkook shouted, running over to his mate and collapsing on his knees in front of him, hands going up to hold Taehyung’s cheeks in his palms, making the other look straight at him. “Baby, deep breaths, come on. It was just a vision, you’re safe. Come on, in… and out, in… and out. Just like that.” Taehyung focused on Jungkook’s voice, breathing slowly backing into normal. He regained his sight and his hearing, the feeling in his body still a few ways from returning. He fell into Jungkook’s arms, whimpering in pain.

        “What happened?” Jimin asked worriedly, looking up at Namjoon from beside Jungkook and Taehyung. Namjoon ran a hand through his light purple locks, wrecking his hair with anxiety.

        “He had a vision, and as you can see, the aftermath was this bad.”

        “You tell me? Jungkook almost passed out from that pain and Hoseok had to carry him to the portal so he could pass through. Tae, you okay now?” Taehyung looked up at Jimin from over Jungkook’s shoulder, nodding weakly. He turned around in Jungkook’s arms so he could look at Namjoon.

        “Joonie, there’s a phoenix fairy that might lose control in the future. Badly. You really need to go to Seoul and find him and teach him how to control his phoenix before it’s too late. After all, you’re the first to have succeeded.”

        “Who’s the guy?” Namjoon’s eyes were wide with worry, his skin already tingling with anxiety.

        “Lee Felix of Stray Kidz.”


	36. Reunion...and departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...aaaannndddd this is the last another hehehe

        “Pass me the reluz!” Felix shouted from in front of the stove towards Jeongin, waving wildly with his hand as he waited for him to bring in the cut plant. The soup already smelled heavenly, but Felix knew that if he added freshly cut reluz, it would taste better. He’d learned that from his mother when she’d decided that he needed to learn how to cook as well.

        Jeongin dropped his phone onto the table, rushing over and handing Felix the plant, wiping his forehead dramatically after Felix dumped the cut parts into the boiling pot. Hah, as if he was the one cooking.

        Hyunjin was sitting onto the counter, a bit off to Felix’s left, playing on his phone a co-op game with Jeongin and Seungmin, although Seungmin was back at his dorm room. After seeing Changbin, Felix felt a lot better, but the desire to go back to the other was still there and just as strong.

        “The plants.” Hyunjin reminded quietly without even looking at Felix, chuckling when the other jumped and looked over into the pot, stirring like crazy so it wouldn’t burn or anything. Jeongin sat back down and grabbed his phone, complaining that he’d died because of Felix, while the latter stuck his tongue out childishly.

        “That smells really good Fe.” Jisung said from the doorframe. Felix turned around quickly, face erupting into a bright smile. He’d known that both Jisung and Chan were busy back at the university so they couldn’t come over, which meant that seeing Jisung now was a great surprise.

        “Sungie! You came!”

        “Of course I did. After all, it’s not every day I get to see my favorite fairy cook.” A shocked _hey_ came from both Jeongin and Hyunjin, making the two fire fairies laugh and fist bump once Jisung walked close enough. “May I add something too?”

        “Be my guest.” Felix waved at the pot, stepping aside. Jisung leaned over the stove, palms facing the opening of the pot. His fingers started glowing, and soon enough, the water inside colored a dark red, Jisung grinning wildly at Felix.

        “Is that what I think it is?”

        “Yup.”

        “Oh damn, that smells heavenly.” Hyunjin mumbled, eyes wide and mouth opened, fingers lax on the phone. Felix was fast enough to capture the device before it fell and shattered. “Oops.” Hyunjin chuckled, sending a thanking glance towards Felix.

        “How’s uni?”

        “Uni’s boring without all of us there, but Krey was quite understanding so he excused you three from classes. Chan and Minho made sure to take notes for you, as you well know. I got you Friday’s lessons right here.” Jisung pointed to his messenger bag. “After all, you have the entire Saturday afternoon and Sunday to study them before you go back to classes.”

        “If we go back.” Felix’s voice was sullen, fingers clenched around the wooden spoon with which he was stirring around in the pot. Jisung frowned, leaning over to him and wrapping his palm around the other’s tightened fingers.

        “You will come back, Fe. There’s no doubt in that. Chan is already making a plan to get rid of the horde along with Blutige and Minho.”

        “Really?” Felix’s eyes suddenly caught a different light, fingers relaxing on the spoon. Jisung nodded; it made him really happy to be the bearer of good news.

        “Really.”

        “Then, we must celebrate. Sort of. Let’s eat Felix’s food and pretend that we like it to make the chef happy.”  Jeongin teased, the others laughing when Felix rushed over to him to ruffled his hair and tickle his sides.

        “Don’t you feel as if there’s some tension running through Jisung? I feel as if he’s tense.” Hyunjin whispered next to Jeongin’s ear when Jisung and Felix left the kitchen to grab the movie box from Chan’s room. Jeongin nodded, canines gnawing at his lower lip.

        “It feels as if he knows something dangerous but won’t tell us.”

        “Maybe it has something to do with Minho?”

        “…I don’t think so. At least not this time.”

        “Then maybe we should just ask him. Later. When Felix is asleep. He has enough to worry about as it is.”

        “Later.” Jeongin agreed, relapsing into silence when the two Fae returned with a huge plastic box filled with DVDs.

        “So, what shall it be?”

        “Apocalypse!” Hyunjin and Jisung shouted, while Jeongin groaned and buried his face in his forearms, knowing that it would be futile to try and change their minds. They huddled close to each other in front of the TV, pulled the curtains until the morning sun no longer filtered through, and then played the movie.

****

        Chan’s eyes kept on closing and opening with a jerk for about an hour now, bags underneath his eyes and mind so tired he wasn’t sure what day it was. He’d been up all night, planning for ways in which they could take care of the demons without anyone getting injured. It proved to be quite the difficult task. He’s been close to dosing off again when the front doorbell rang, making him jump on his legs, fingers dropping the pen that he was holding. In the morning, he’d received a message from Blutige, saying that she was going to come by to inform him of something new that happened, but behind the door it wasn’t Blutige.

        “Namjoon?!” Chan’s eyes widened, sleep long forgotten by now. An old friend of his was standing right at his doorstep, sheepish smile in place, purple dyed hair ruffled. He had a backpack strung over his shoulder, clothes hanging fashionably off his body. Chan jumped when he realized that he’d been staring at the older, going forwards to bring him in a tight hug. “It’s been so long.” He muttered as Namjoon hugged him back, laughing a bit at the unexpected reunion.

        “Yes, it has, although, I wish I’d have come just to visit.” Namjoon’s tone was serious and bordering on worried. Chan stepped back to take a closer look at the phoenix fairy, taking in the other’s tiredness and worried crinkles around his eyes. He looked awful.

        “What happened? Is your mate okay? Is BTS okay?”

        “They are fine. I…didn’t come because of them. My brother, Taehyung, sent me here. Your phoenix fairy is in danger.” Chan’s blood froze in his veins, his mouth hanging open in shock.

        “Felix?! Why is he in danger? Is it because of the separation from Changbin?”

        “No, it’s not because of that. Felix is in potential danger of burning out badly in the nearby future, so I’m here to help. Taehyung had a really bad vision about Felix, so I had to come.”

        “I know you’re strong, but how are you going to help Felix control his phoenix?” Chan requested, eyes peering into the other’s. He had his fists clenched so his hands wouldn’t shake, corner of his lip caught in between canines. Namjoon looked uncomfortable.

        “How about we go in first. This isn’t for everyone’s ears.” Chan nodded, stepping aside quickly, making way for Namjoon to get in. The other dropped his backpack onto the ground, grabbing onto Chan’s forearm to drag him further into the apartment. “You remember how I told you once that I met my mate in dire circumstances?”

        “I remember that was the only thing you said before you got cut off by Jimin because he and Jungkook had blown up the sink in the kitchen.”

        “Yeah, well, they were really dire circumstances. It was a matter of life and death, so I was forced to use my phoenix in the end. I don’t know how, but because of the sudden drive to save Jin, I somehow got control over it.” As Namjoon continued to explain, he started to take off his black elbow-length gloves, revealing black scorched skin from the elbow down to the tips of his fingers. “Whenever I use my phoenix, it burns me, but I’ve grown used to it. No matter how much I heal, it always goes back to this because of how often I use it so I’ve grown accustomed to wearing gloves so no one would find out. I guess you’re pretty shocked.” Namjoon retorted with a laugh, closing Chan’s mouth with a slow movement of his hand. Chan shook his head, eyes widening even more.

        “I-You-How? I thought it was impossible…”

        “Technically it is, but if I could save myself from burning out, then I can save Felix as well. Where is he, by the way?”

        “Ahh, about that…” Chan proceeded to explain to Namjoon everything, from the horde of demons coming to Seoul to Felix’s leaving from the dorms at the university in an attempt to protect Changbin.

        “So what you’re saying is that he won’t be back until we get rid of those demons?” Chan nodded. “Alright then, let’s get rid of those mother fuckers.”

****

        Hyunjin stretched his body and sighed at the pleasant feeling of his bones popping after sitting down for so long. Seungmin was in the kitchen with Felix and Jeongin, bickering over the way they were brewing the tea, while Jisung was…in his room. Hyunjin decided to take this as his chance to talk with him, slipping away from the living room unnoticed and up the staircase, grimacing when one step groaned. He froze in place, not moving at all for at least a minute, before sighing when no one came. He skipped two steps and jumped up, landing quietly on his feet before going over to Jisung’s room.

        He found him lying on the bed, face down, fingers clenched into his covers.

        “Jisung?”

        Hyunjin’s voice made Jisung move, although he didn’t remove his face from the bed.

        “Waht?” Jisung asked in a muffled voice, sighing in annoyance when he realized that he had to raise his head for Hyunjin to hear what he was saying. “What?” He repeated, although his voice was weaker now, and when Hyunjin got a closer look at his eyes, he saw that they were rimmed red.

        Hyunjin walked slowly over to the bed and leaned down, brushing Jisung’s locks out of his eyes with gentle fingers. “Hey there.” He murmured, voice soft and worried. Jisung felt his lips quiver at Hyunjin’s voice, catching it instantly between his teeth to stop the movement. Hyunjin noticed, of course he would, and got on the bed, bringing Jisung in a tight hug without asking anything.

        His arms tightened even more when he felt Jisung’s body tremble, the fire fairy burying his face in Hyunjin’s chest, hands gripping his shirt at the sides.

        “Why are you this upset?” Hyunjin question when he could no longer handle the silence, continuing to run his fingers soothingly through Jisung’s hair.

        “It’s Chan.”

        “What happened with Chan?”

        “He forbade me from helping him in getting rid of the demons. He is going to fight them away with Blutige and Minho…I can’t help but worry. What if something happens to him while he’s away from us?” At this, Jisung pulled his face away from Hyunjin’s chest, fresh tears trickling down his cheeks. Hyunjin frowned and brought his fingers up, catching the tears and brushing them away before he cupped Jisung’s face and leaned his forehead against his.

        “You know how Chan is, Sungie. He won’t allow himself to get injured for our sakes. He’s probably ransacking his brains right now to find a plan in which none of them get injured. You gotta give him more credit. He’s the oldest of us, and the wisest.” Hyunjin’s points were strong, but Jisung still felt worried. He’d stropped crying at least.

        “I…I guess you’re right.”

        “Aren’t I always?” Jisung smiled a little, knocking his fist into Hyunjin’s shoulder while the other laughed, bringing Jisung in another hug. This one was longer and by the time Seungmin found them upstairs, they were full out cuddling, both almost asleep. Seungmin shook his head and plopped down on the covers, worming his way between then and dragging the blanket over their heads, chuckling when both Hyunjin and Jisung latched onto him, Jisung digging his forehead into his shoulder while Hyunjin tangled their legs together and pressed a warm kiss to his neck before settling with his face pressed against it.

        “Totally not fair.” Jeongin and Felix complained an hour later when they found them all cuddled up before joining in, the bed quickly covered up with a mass of sleepy fairies huddled together.

****

        Blutige walked from her office room over to the market outside once night settled over the district, red dress replaced by dark pants and a dark red top, her hair braided and tied at the back. She wore black fingerless gloves, her staff held between slim fingers.

        Once she reached the market, she found Minho and Chan resting on the Siren Fountain, talking in hushed voices. When they saw her, they got up. They were both shifted, bright eyes glowing against the darkness of the night. “Are you ready? Where’s Namjoon?” She questioned, flinging her staff backwards, the hilt resting between her shoulder blades, middle of the staff in between her fingers at her hip.

        “Yeah, we are. He’s in Gwangju with the warrior fairies, preparing for everything. How exactly are we going to do this?” Chan inquired, eyeing Blutige’s staff. It had a very beautiful and intricate design. There were carved-in designs, and at the very top, a rainbow gemstone rested between three wooden tendrils that seemed to encase it. Minho copied Blutige’s stance, pulling out his staff from underneath his cloak, metallic ornaments jiggling with his movements.

        “I’ll clear the path up ahead from lower demons while you two sneak in and drop the hint that the group of fairies that they’re following are in Gwangju. Blutige, you’ll trick the dark runes around their camp so the portal sends them straight to the ambush site, while you, Chan, will place a lock around the camp borders so no demon would get out. Got it?” They both nodded, Minho staring at them with the promise to succeed in his eyes before he fell into a blue void that he created, disappearing from in front of them. Chan turned towards Blutige, meaning to ask about how they’d get there, when Blutige extended an arm and grabbed him around the bicep, a red hole appearing underneath their feet.

        Chan felt his stomach still twisting after the travel, lips pursed in a thin line. He most definitely hated teleporting after having not done so for almost a century. They waited behind a wall, crouched below eyes level behind a barrel. The demon camp was up ahead, Minho nowhere in sight. A few minutes later, they saw a spark of light blue going up into the sky, signaling for them to follow him inside.

        The camp was dirty and smelt of blood, dried patches of it lying on the ground, both black and red. Chan didn’t even want to think about what’d happened in there. He passed by the smaller tents, eyes catching Minho’s body as he fought with the lower demons that were guarding the tents. Almost as soon as one of the demons collapsed into a pool of black blood, Minho teleported it away, clearing each and all traces of his presence there and of the disappearance of the demons. They needed the greater demon that was with them to not notice anything until it was too late.

        Blutige ran past Chan, crouching down behind the biggest tent in the camp. They couldn’t sense anything inside, so Blutige stepped in, staring around at the filthy place. There were dark traces everywhere, making her skin crawl, reacting almost as if to an allergy as she saw the dark blood splattered onto the floor and bed.

        Hurrying over to the pillar that sat right in the middle with dark runes drawn all around it, Blutige leaned down and used her knife to modify them. Meanwhile, Chan started drawing runes on the border around the tent, the runes spreading once he was done the way cards from a pack would fly out of someone’s hand. The border was completed and all that they had to do now was for the greater demon to come in the tent and call the other demons to teleport. Minho walked over the Chan at the same time as Blutige left the tent through the back. When he heard hissing up front, Chan grabbed both shamans around the shoulders and dragged them down, holding his breath and waiting. The hissing passed and entered the tent, a growling noise following soon after. Chan grimaced thinking that they’d left their scent there or that something was going wrong, when a bright light illuminated the tent. It worked.

        All of the demons poured in, all except for the remaining guards at the front of the camp. Once the portal closed, they breathed a sigh of relief, gathering their strength before going over to get rid of the guards as well.

        Ten minutes later, Chan’s phone rang shortly with a notification, gathering the other’s attention. He took out his phone and pressed in the password, smiling and nodding to himself after he saw the message from Yuta.

        **_From: Yuta_**

_All clear here xDD They were tough, but we outnumbered them so in the end, we won. Namjoon was of great help too. No more demons to haunt Seoul for now._

_**From: Chan**_

_Thank you so much. To all of you. You were of great help._

_**From: Yuta**_

_We’re warrior fairies. It’s our duty xDD. Tell Woojin I said hi._

_**From: Chan**_

_I will. Thank you again.^^_

“It was all taken care of.” Chan exclaimed, Blutige and Minho cheering with smiles as bright as the sun. They all fist-bumped, overjoyed that their plan had worked. Woojin had been the one to suggest an ambush with the help of the NCT fairy family in Gwangju, since he knew them very well. He’d been sure that they would be able to pull everything off, the results now proving that as well.

        The Sunday sun started rising, the soft rays almost cleansing the camp of the negative energy the was left behind. Chan couldn’t wait to go and see Felix to tell him that he could finally come back home and back to Changbin. The other would surely be overjoyed.

        “Guys, wanna go out for a drink in that selkie bar from my district?” Blutige asked, leaning against her staff with a bright grin, dirt dusting her dark pants. Chan wanted to go and announce Felix that everything was fine now, and he couldn’t keep on waiting.

        “I wish I could, but I need to speak with Felix first. Minho, you can go. Thank you a lot for helping us.” Minho patted Chan’s shoulder, Blutige doing the same, both smiling warmly at him.

        “Then go and bring him the good news.” Chan nodded, turning around on his feet and leaving the demon camp, body automatically twisting and going in the direction of their house. On the way, he received a message from Jisung, saying that he was back at the dorm and that he would be awaiting Namjoon to lead him to their spare room where he prepared a bed for the fairy to sleep in.

****

        Felix knew that if he kept on staying away from Changbin and avoiding him for longer, he would go crazy, but he also understood that it was for Changbin’s own safety. With the demons that were roaming freely around Seoul, the last thing Changbin needed was to smell like a fairy.

That wouldn’t only endanger him, but make him a direct target. Felix wanted to protect him, but after spending so many days together and allowing the magnetic bond between them to grow, it was anguishing to stay away from him.

        “Felix, you okay?” A voice asked from the door frame, looking worriedly over to Felix. It was Chan. To him, Felix looked as if he would almost pass out, white as a thin sheet of paper and eyes burning with flames, hair orange in color and freckles lit up. His ears were as sharp as they could be, and when Felix opened his mouth to speak, his canines appeared, sharper than ever.

        “Not really. I feel as if I’m gonna go crazy if I don’t see Changbin any sooner.” At that, Chan pressed his lips together, trying to contain a bright grin. He couldn’t wait to see Felix’s reaction to his news.

        “Then I guess I came in the right time. We managed to get the demons out of Seoul just half an hour ago, to Gwangju. There is a big group of warrior fairies there, so they are already taken care of.” Felix almost jumped up from the bed in happiness, diving right into Chan’s arms and hugging him so tightly that he felt a few bones pop in his body. Felix was now thrumming with energy, eyes wide and alive. He was out the door in less than a second and out of the house in less than a minute, his long, strong legs carrying him automatically in Changbin’s direction, nose following his scent. He was led to their beloved café, L7L.

        Inside, Changbin was moving rapidly through the café, carrying boxes and arranging the contents from inside in the kitchen and on the counter. Even though it was Sunday, Siege had asked for a bit of help with the new stuff that just arrived, so Changbin couldn’t refuse. In fact, he couldn’t even think about refusing, because having something to do would take him mind off of Felix. His homework was done from a long time now, apartment cleaned thoroughly, fridge filled with food and lyrics for a new song written, so he had too much free time on his hands for his liking. He was getting ready to go into the storage room to stack the now empty boxes in the only free corner when he heard the bell from the front door jingle open. When he turned around, he was shocked by what he saw. Felix was frozen in place as well, only now realizing that he was finally going to be able to stay next to Changbin, see him and touch him, without worrying about the demons. Was the other even upset with him for being gone for so long? Those were few of the thoughts that flew through Felix’s mind as he stared at his mate, although they all disappeared when the other started to speak.

        “Felix, you…“ Changbin began, unsure of what to say. He had missed the younger like crazy, and without hearing anything from him for the past few days, he felt like going mad. Felix, ignoring the way Changbin stuttered, closed the door behind him and started to walk towards Changbin, newly found determination sparkling in his eyes. The fairy was sure on his legs, his blue t-shirt hanging a bit loosely off his shoulder from running, skin covered in goosebumps, although he wasn’t sure whether they appeared because he was cold or for a completely different reason. Changbin frowned at him and when he was about to open his mouth to speak again, Felix lunged at him and wrapped his arms around his neck, lips covering his. Changbin made a surprised sound, shocked, hands twitching at his side with the instinct to wrap them around his freckled boy.

        Felix was actually kissing him after being gone for such a long period of time so he couldn’t help his body being frozen with surprise and happiness.

        When Felix realized that Changbin wasn’t responding to the kiss, he tried to step away, thinking that their kiss at the get-together didn’t mean anything. The keyword, tried, for Changbin grabbed him around the waist and pulled him in even closer than he already was, other hand sneaking up and into Felix’s fiery locks, responding to Felix’s kiss with such fervor it made Felix’s legs tremble. Now it was his turn be shocked  before he melted into Changbin’s embrace, enjoying the soft lips of his, the bond buzzing with energy between  them, and strangely enough, this time Changbin was feeling it as well, because when Felix sighed and raised his hands up to tangle them in Changbin’s dark locks, he felt the contentment in Felix, making him brush Felix’s cheeks with soft strokes, thumbs angling Felix’s head so that Changbin could kiss him better, nimble at his plump lips and enjoy the way the younger hummed before he answered with equal passion, although Changbin was quite shocked when he felt canines catch at his lip. Changbin didn’t even have time to ponder over it, and it was mostly his fault for provoking the other, because Felix then proceeded to kiss him deeper, pressing his body against his, in the end pushing Changbin into the marble counter. Felix grinned with mischief and placed his hands on the marble counter behind Changbin before he went back to kissing him again, this time opening his mouth and dragging his tongue softly over Changbin’s lower lip, making the other shiver and tighten his grip around his waist. Felix loved being dominant, because it was in his genes as a fairy. Once they had a partner, fairies grew to be very possessive and overprotective of them, unwillingly so at times. Felix liked being so, especially when he noticed the way Changbin was so eager to kiss him as much as possible without breaking away to breathe, tongues clashing warmly, muffled sounds filling the deserted café.

        When Changbin pulled away to breath, Felix jokingly followed after him, instead of kissing him again, planting a peck on his nose gently, his hands going to rest on the others hips, foreheads pressed together.

        “I missed you”

        “I missed you too, like…I almost went crazy…” They laughed together, Changbin placing his palm against Felix’s soft cheek. Felix looked at him with bright eyes, leaning into the others touch and… _fuck, Changbin’s heart was too soft for that,_ he leaned closer and pecked the other’s lips again, but with Felix it was almost impossible to leave only a single peck. Changbin ended up covering Felix’s face with little kisses, living off of the other’s soft giggles. Both of them could feel their hearts beating in sync, soaring with joy and fulfillment at finally being together.

****

        Namjoon finally got back to the university around noon after he was sure NCT was safe and sound back in Gwangju and that all of them were injure-free. He collapsed into the laid out bed, marveling at its softness. Chan was still out with Minho at L7L where they met up with Changbin and Felix, Jisung having left to meet them shortly after Namjoon got back.

        He couldn’t help but wonder what Changbin was. Taehyung had refused to say anything about what type of Fae he was, insisting that it wasn’t important for the moment and that all he needed to worry about was Felix’s training. He was sure that Tae saw something really important in his vision.

        Namjoon was taken out of his thoughts when the front door opened, a cheerful voice filling the hall with happiness. He could almost feel the joy radiating off of the fairy, the powerful presence and specific scent instantly widening his eyes. It was Felix. Namjoon got out of his bed, tiredness forgotten as his excitement to meet the tribal fairy grew ten times. He smelt amazing. So…powerful.

        Chan was in the hallway with Felix, complaining about why Jisung got to escape with Changbin and Minho in town to buy the new plants Krey had suggested for the greenhouse, while he had to escort the ecstatic fairy back home. Felix was _bouncing_ all the way back, energy so lively it almost attracted unwanted attention. Chan had been there to pull Felix away from the overly excited Razors, Fae changelings that were as small as a ping pong ball of blackness and that sucked the strong energies of passing fairies. They were more than excited to feel Felix.

        “I swear I can feel my skin tingling-…Chan, who’s this?” Felix stopped, eyes widening when he saw Namjoon leaning into the doorframe to the spare room, ruffled purple locks and lazy grin in place. He had black gloves reaching up all the way to his elbow, combat boots and loose pants accompanying a tight muscle shirt.

        “This is Namjoon. A phoenix fairy.”

        “I can sense that. Like reaalllyyyyy sense that. Why is your scent so strong?!” Felix shouted, bracing himself against the nearby wall, staring at Namjoon, eyes burning defensively. It was as if his phoenix was reacting to him, telling him to be cautious.

        “That’s good. That reaction is really good. It means your phoenix is aware of mine. This will make things a lot easier.”

        “Aware? Easier? What the hell are you talking about?”

        “Felix, right?” Namjoon inquired, ignoring Felix’s earlier questions. Felix nodded sharply, sneaking in a glance at Chan. His leader looked serious. “I’m here to train you.” At that, Namjoon’s eyes turned a bright red, skin warming up, red veins burning up his neck.

        “How…” Felix muttered in awe, shocked that the other could channel his phoenix.

        “Let me introduce myself. Maybe this way you’ll recognize me from the tales. I’m Svarog, flame of the dawn.” Namjoon felt satisfied with the way Felix’s eyes lit up.

        “Svarog?! But I thought he was a legend! I mean you! How are you even real?!”

        “It’s quite flattering to call me a legend. I merely managed to survive my phoenix and tame him.”

        “That actually calls for a big a claim as legend, Joonie.” Namjoon’s eyes widened at Chan’s words, before he looked back at Felix’s still entertained yet terrified wide eyes.

        “You said you’re here to train me? Why?”

        “My brother sent me here. He’s a Flügelyr fairy. He had a vision about you losing control of your phoenix and burning down the entirety of Seoul. I’m here to prevent that.”

        “That sounds…really bad. I’m glad you came, then.” Felix muttered, eyes downcast, lips pulled into a thin line. Chan could sense his worry even without their family bond, instantly feeling the need to go over to comfort the other. Namjoon was faster, though, walking over to Felix and patting him on the head.

        “Keep your head up Felix. I’ll help you gain control of your phoenix and you’ll be just fine. There’s no need to worry. Trust me.” _Trust me._ Those words meant so much, both for Namjoon and for Felix. Namjoon was asking of him to place his trust in him that everything would be fine, that he would gain control over his phoenix, while Felix had no idea if he could succeed, even with the other’s help. Despite feeling that way, he couldn’t stand idly and do nothing.

        “Alright.” Felix’s voice cut through the tense air like a knife, Namjoon and Chan sighing in relief at the same time. Some of Felix’s happiness came back, although it was tamer now.

        “That’s good. How about we get to know each other first. Wanna go out to eat?” Namjoon inquired, grinning at Felix. The younger threw a questioning glance at Chan, but he only shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the kitchen, as if to say _you’re on your own, mate._ Felix gathered as much social skill as he could and nodded, following Namjoon out the door.

****

        By the time Jisung and Changbin decided to head back to the dorms, it was nighttime. Minho had trailed behind the two, lost with a warning message that he’d received from Blutige, when they got separated. He’d taken a different path, and now he could no longer see his friend and mate. Frowning, he decided to turn around and track his footsteps back, but it was in vain. He couldn’t sense them either, probably because Jisung was blocking his scent and Changbin didn’t have one yet.

        He heard hissing behind him, quickly ducking when he felt a medieval mace with double, metal balls, swooshing from behind him. The end impaled itself into the wall, above Minho’s head, debris and bricks falling down. He whipped his head around, eyes widening at the massive demon that kept dragging its weight through the narrow alley. _Dragging,_ because he had massive chunks of his body trailing onto the ground from how big he was and from how loose his blackened skin was on his bones. The mace went back into his hands, minions bursting out from bubbles that formed from his skin and erupted, the small creatures snarling with mouths filled with jagged teeth. _Fufards. Shit, I’m in big trouble,_ Minho cursed underneath his breath, stumbling backwards as he summoned his staff.

        The demon groaned and moaned, more Fufards surfacing from his skin. Minho knocked his staff into the ground, his eyes lighting up into azure, hair whipping back as an energy wave sent the creatures tumbling to the ground. They were back up on their feet in no time, giggling in weird, distorted voices. Minho cursed and brought his staff close to his chest, thinking back to how he’d told Felix that he and fire never really got along. It wasn’t truly because he didn’t like it…but because he liked it too much. With a raging growl, Minho whipped his staff around, a circle of fire blasting around him, so powerful it sent the greater Fufard yowling in pain. The minions squeaked and jumped away from the circle, chanting weird words and moving in circles around Minho. _You’ll never be free~ You’ll never be free~ We’ll get to **him** too~ _At that, Minho felt rage course through his body, flames erupting into vicious tendrils that wrapped around the minions, capturing as many as they could before tightening around them, crushing them into black puddles. The Fufard growled and moaned in pain, sending the mace flying again, but Minho wasn’t having it this time. The Fufard watched with widened black holes as Minho allowed the mace to approach him before it stopped right in between his eyes, floating there for a few seconds before it switched trajectory, going straight through the demon’s stomach folds. It yowled and thrashed around before he fell to the ground, other minions doing the same while some hurriedly ate from its body and grew taller, jagged teeth growing as well.

        Minho huffed in annoyance and sent another flame towards them, but this time, they deflected it. He stared with wide eyes as the now taller minions stepped over the fire, growling in deeper tones. Minho pounced backwards, staff outstretched as a curse fell from his lips in a smooth melody, trapping around the minion’s body, when he felt something sharp going through his side. He turned around only to see a bloodied knife grasped in the hands of one of the grinning demons, said knife quickly going in for another hit when Minho blocked it and terminated the demon. Another hit got him in the shoulder, reminding him of the demons he just turned his back against. He slashed at them, but the poison was already in his bloodstream, slowing him down.

        He pushed through the haziness, fighting against the demons until there were only two left. When Minho went ahead to strike at one of them, the other jumped on his back, sending his staff tumbling to the ground. The demon from in front of him turned on the soles of his feet and ran away, twisted giggles following after.

        _“We’ve found you, Azurblau. It’s time you come back **home**.”_

Minho gasped, his eyes tearing up at the words that trailed behind the running demon. He started thrashing against the demon, desperate to go after the running one, to kill him, to keep his location undiscovered, but his body was weakened, injured and in the grasps of another demon who’s strength was currently bigger than Minho’s. He gave another harsh pull, but he couldn’t get away, the demon snarling and opening his jaws, ready to bite into his shoulder.

        He couldn’t even feel himself anymore. Everything he did until now, every single try of hiding his trail and keeping himself safe…of keeping those around him safe…it was all in vain. Demons would now come and prowl the area searching for him. He’d failed. He made himself a target again, made Jisung and Seungmin and the others a target again. He didn’t even feel the demon clenching his claws into his arms.

        All of a sudden, the arms and weight around him disappeared into a flurry of red, a flame piercing just a few inches away from his skin and into the demon, sending him through the brick wall. Jisung rushed over to Minho, peering into his eyes, grabbing onto his shoulders, but the other was unresponsive, hot tears trickling down his cheeks, blood staining his clothes. His blood.

        “Minho! For the love of everything, please answer me!” Jisung shouted, shaking Minho, taking into account his injuries and gasping when he saw just how much blood he was losing. “Minho!” Jisung gasped when Minho wrecked himself away from Jisung with a sob, stumbling onto his own feet, eyes staring into Jisung’s.

        “They’ve found me…they found my trail again, my location…I put you in danger. I put everyone in danger. I can’t…I can’t….” Minho kept on chanting, scaring Jisung to his core. If the demons found him then Minho would-

        “NO!” Jisung shouted when Minho opened a portal right underneath his feet and collapsed through it. He could feel his heart shattering in his chest when he understood what Minho mouthed.

        _I’m sorry._

 


	37. Azurblau's Unraveling Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya fellow readers, i know, i know, i was supposed to post on Sunday but life sometimes says well damn you arent going to do what you want because here, u have so many other things that you need to do asap hahaxDDD. Just so it would be better for when i start school again, i'll change the uploading day for chapters from Sundays to Tuesdays ^^ This is the first part of a long chapter which will focus more on Jisung and Minho, although this part just starts everything. I assume that there will be one more part, but depending on how much more i'll write, it could lead to two which will be uploaded tomorrow XDDDD Enjoy and have fun reading, because reading should be fun^^ hit me up in the comments and let's live and enjoy everything~~ 
> 
> Ps: i was thinking about starting to post small snippets of the story and lore about the universe like, what are pixies or what are changelings, descriptions of places in the fairy realm, sort of like pages from Woojin's book, on twitter, so if you want, follow me ;) @Krissa00103153. Love ya'll~~~

        It was very weird for Changbin. He just couldn’t contact anyone. It’d been half an hour after he got to the university, Minho still not at home, Jisung not answering and Seungmin gone as well. Felix’s phone was ringing but it was as if the other couldn’t hear it, while the others had their phones turned off. It was unnerving for him and also strange at the same time because he could sort of feel that something was wrong? It was as if he could sense Felix’s worry. The anxiety settled deep in his gut as he threw his phone away and stared at the ceiling. Yes, they were a few steps away in the apartment across from him, but he couldn’t bring it in himself to go over and check. It was almost as if something was stopping him from even considering it.

        Unbeknownst to him, Lila struggled right next to his body against the golden strings that sprouted from her own and tied themselves around Changbin’s wrist, fighting to keep Changbin there and to not go and check on the fairies. From beside her, Shiaj kept on praying next to her body, one of his wings going around her shoulders and glowing.

        In the end, he remained in his room, staring sadly at his phone, hoping Felix would contact him to tell him what was going on.

****

        Chan was in the kitchen with Hyunjin, trying to prepare dinner and teach the youngest _how_ to do it at the same time, when the wave hit them. A wave of despair and panic so strong that Hyunjin had to grasp onto the counter just so he wouldn’t fall as his legs gave out. Chan leaned into the counter as well, breath knocked out of his chest. Slowly, they turned to each other. “Did you sense that?” They asked quietly, eyes widening when they realized they were speaking at the same time. In one move, they were out of the kitchen, rushing over to Jeongin’s room, the only other fairy in the apartment, only for Jeongin to wrench his door open just as they reached it.

        “It wasn’t me!” They ran back to the main hall when the front door was banged open, Felix coming inside, his blonde locks ruffled and sticking out in weird directions. His eyes were wide and tinted orange, fingernails slightly sharp with the beginning of the shift. He walked over to them.

        “That was Jisung, wasn’t it?” His voice wavered, just as his lips, eyes widening even more when he realized that it was indeed Jisung, because he was the only one missing. Felix had just parted ways with Namjoon minutes before he felt the wave through the family bond. The only reason why Namjoon wasn’t with him was because the older wanted to map out Seoul again after being away for so long.

        The four fairies turned around slowly as they heard their front door banging open, Hyunjin running forward when he saw Seungmin barely standing upright, knuckles almost white from how tightly he was holding onto the doorknob. When he sensed his mate nearby, Seungmin released his hold onto the doorknob, Hyunjin catching him in his arms. Seungmin struggled to look up while Hyunjin held him, eyes locking onto Chan.

        “Minho is gone.” The whisper of _what_ fell from their lips, Jeongin’s hand tightening around Chan’s bicep. Minho? Gone? “I can’t sense him anymore. He disappeared off of my radar.”

        “Gone as in…” Jeongin began, eyes tearing up just at the thought of it.

        “Not like that! Dear deity! I just can’t sense him around this area anymore.” Hyunjin, being so close to Seungmin, could feel the way the other’s heart picked up, arms tightening even more around him. Seungmin leaned almost his entire weight on Hyunjin, the feeling of the other’s warmth calming him down to a certain extent.

        “If you can no longer sense Minho, then we need to find-“ The front door, which had been abandoned and left open slightly by Seungmin when he dropped in Hyunjin’s arms, opened even more, revealing Jisung. Felix released an almost inaudible gasp, hurrying over to him. “Jisung…?” He questioned, not touching him. He could sense the overflowing emotions coming from Jisung, anxiety, worry, despair, sadness, anger…they were all so strong Felix couldn’t focus on either. He felt overwhelmed by them. “Jisung?” He spoke louder this time, inching closer to the fire fairy. Jisung finally dared to look up, Felix freezing in his advances when he noticed the other’s fiery eyes, the skin on his cheeks wet with drying tears, lips quivering.

        “I can’t sense him…He was just in front of me and now he’s gone…He’s off somewhere, injured and poisoned, and I can’t even fucking find him…” Fresh tears started to fall down, his eyes focusing on Felix before they dragged over to Seungmin. The other was now standing upright, Hyunjin with his fingers still coiled around his right arm.

        “What happened, Jisung?” Jisung could no longer look at Seungmin, the worry in the other’s eyes too much for him to handle without the feeling of guilt intensifying. He could’ve stopped Minho, could’ve found him faster…

        “Changbin, Minho and I were heading back when we got separated. I sent Changbin ahead while I went back to look for Minho but I got there too late. He was attacked by a Fufard demon and one of them got away, saying that he’ll bring Azurblau back _home_. Then, an advanced Fufard minion stabbed Minho and I interfered, killing it, but then Minho teleported away, saying that he put everyone in danger and now I can no longer sense him. I don’t know where he is…” Jisung felt numb, his neck aching for an unknown reason. Felix frowned, looking over at Seungmin when the other cursed and grabbed at his own hair, gnawing on his lower lip with worry.

        “What’s wrong?” Chan asked, grabbing Jeongin’s hand when the other started to shake a little. Hyunjin walked closer to Seungmin, dropping his arm from around his bicep in order to wrap it around his waist loosely.

        “It’s just that…I was always with Minho whenever something like this happened, whenever the demons found his trace again. I always made sure we teleported to a safe location…I think he teleported away in panic this time. In the past, whenever the demons found out his location, he left that place, for decades at times, in an attempt to protect those around him. Once the demons got a whiff of his scent again, they would follow his scent and ignore those around the area in which he was last seen, knowing that he teleported away. I can’t even predict where he would go…” Seungmin looked to the side, frown deepening.

        Jisung could feel the tension going up to his head, his legs growing weak at the thought of never seeing the other. Felix caught him with a shout of surprise, arms winding tightly around him to stop his fall.

        “He blacked out. Is this the moment when we should really panic? Because I think I might black out too.” Felix spoke fast, staring at Chan with owl eyes, hands tightening and completely holding Jisung up. Chan brought a hand up to his forehead, rubbing it strongly before he exhaled and walked over to Felix, placing a hand on his cheek and gazing up at him reassuringly.

        “Please don’t black out, I don’t think I could handle any more than this. Take Jisungie to his room. We’ll think about how to find Minho. If he is injured and poisoned, then he needs help and fast. Seungmin, does anyone come to your mind that could know where Minho is?”

        “Blutige might have a way of finding him?”

        “Then we should contact her as fast as possible and ask her to be on the lookout for him.” Chan nodded, almost as if to himself, going back to the kitchen to retrieve his phone while Felix gathered Jisung in his arms and walked with him to his room. Jeongin followed after Chan, wriggling his hands together. He could still feel the thick tension all around him. Jisung’s emotions were still everywhere, even with him passed out.

        “We need to do all that we can to mask Jisung’s scent and energy completely. Blutige should be able to help us with that if she can.”

        “Why do we need to do that?”

        “Minho would blame himself even more if something happened to Jisung because of him. He’s terrified of something like that happening, so we need to do everything we can to make sure than doesn’t happen. Ahh, this is too much stress for me.” Seungmin murmured weakly all of a sudden, poofing into a smaller form of his dragon. Hyunjin shrieked in shock, staring at the dark green dragon at his feet. Reluctantly, he crouched down and allowed the dragon the climb in his arms, chuckling at the way his scales felt against his skin.

        “I didn’t know dragon changelings shift under stress…” Hyunjin muttered almost to himself, starting to walk towards the kitchen. He knew that changelings spoke in a different language whilst shifted, so he almost dropped Seungmin in surprise when the other spoke in a voice even deeper than Felix’s.

        “They don’t. That’s just how I react whenever I’m too stressed about something. It used to happen a lot.” Seungmin dug his claws in Hyunjin’s clothes to make sure he wouldn’t get dropped. Hyunjin bopped his own nose against Seungmin’s small one, smiling a little.

        “That’s cute.” Seungmin huffed, hiding his face in Hyunjin’s hoodie, breathing in his scent to relax. It was refreshing to see a flustered Seungmin.

****

        After he made sure Jisung was sleeping peacefully with no more nightmares or sudden jumps, Felix left his room and the apartment altogether, in search of much needed fresh air. It was very dark outside, the street poles shut and the security light on by the end of the gates. Felix could feel the wind whipping around his body. He felt glad that he remembered to take Changbin’s hoodie with him to keep him warm.

        After not being able to sleep for the past two hours, Changbin went outside in hopes of getting his mind off of things. He was still very worried about Felix and the others, and now that he was outside, he felt a lot more inclined to just walk over and check up on them. He was about to do so when he literally felt someone colliding into his side.

        “You scared me!” Changbin whisper shouted into the silence of the campus, Felix chuckling and clinging off of Changbin’s side with a wide grin. When they locked eyes, Changbin felt relief blooming in his chest as well as a blush grazing his cheeks, still not used to seeing so many warm emotions aimed his way. Felix’s eyes glistened even more with joy when he saw the way Changbin’s cheeks lit up, fingers tightening a bit in his black hoodie.

       “Well, it’s your fault for not paying enough attention.” Felix remarked, sticking his tongue out before evading Changbin’s fingers that were wiggling with the intent to tickle. The dark blue hoodie that he was wearing with a faded black tree in the middle swayed around him, a bit too large for his body, shorter in length but wider in width. Changbin recognized that hoodie…

       “Hey, isn’t that my hoodie?” Felix choked on air when he heard those words, coughing violently and avoiding Changbin’s eyes until the other literally jumped on his back and turned him around to see his flaming cheeks.

       “You…uhh, forgot it at our place and I grabbed it before leaving because I thought it was mine?” Changbin stared at Felix, making him freeze in place, holding his breath until Changbin cracked a grin.

       “Yeah, sure.” Of course Felix wasn’t expecting Changbin to fall for that, although he couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised that the other hadn’t noticed up to then that his hoodie was gone. “What happened?” Felix’s body seemed to freeze at that, uncertainty running through his eyes. Changbin frowned.

       “Uhm… something happened with Minho’s family and he had to go visit them, so we were all tense because of that. I wanted to answer your calls but Chan was in a deep conversation with us so I couldn’t.” The lies spilled easily from Felix’s lips, used to doing so from decades of moments where he had to talk with humans and give plausible reasons for supernatural events. It hurt though, because this was his mate and for the sake of the seal not breaking, he could not utter a true word. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner or calling. I’m really glad we met up.” Felix smiled at Changbin, extending his hand to trail his fingers over the edge of the other’s left cuff, smile widening when Changbin turned his palm upwards so they could tangle their fingers.

       “At least everyone’s okay. That’s what matters.” Felix’s smile was strained at that, although he hid his face in Changbin’s shoulder to hide it. He really hopes that Changbin’s statement would become true. 

****

        After receiving Chan’s call, Blutige was on edge. She’d felt her heart give painful beats in her chest when she heard from Chan that Minho had teleported away after his location was uncovered by demons and that he was injured. After Minho went through so much to save her from the Dark Realm, she always wished for him to find his happy ending and safety from the demons, just the way she did. It wasn’t fair that someone like him had to go through so much pain and suffering. It just wasn’t.

        A crash outside of her house made her drop her teacup onto the floor, the flowery and white ceramic shattering into pieces at her feet, green liquid spilling across the white tiles. She teleported outside, gasping when she found Minho leaning against the side of her outer wall, clothes almost drenched in blood, face pale. She saw the bandages wrapped badly around his wounds and the marks from runes made with blood before she realized that he tried to treat himself before understanding that he was too weakened to do so. He probably didn’t want to go to the district out of fear that the demons would attack it.

        Pushing her red locks out of her eyes, Blutige hurried over to him and crouched down so she could place his arm around her shoulders and get him up. She grunted and steeled herself against the floor, a passed out Minho much heavier than an awake one. She stumble away from the wall and teleported them to one of her guest rooms, releasing Minho atop the bed and grabbing the first aid kit from her cupboard. She channeled her energy and extracted the poison from his body, storing it in vials before sending them rolling on the ground, a spider catching them in its web in the corner. After that, she took off Minho’s shirt and rolled away the soaked bandages, cleaning the wounds before wrapping them in clean material. She looked out for any signs of Minho being in pain, but he was too knocked out to feel anything by that point.

        Hours later, well into the morning, Minho started to wake up, his wounds still sore from the poison. His head and muscles hurt, eyes stinging and energy weak. Cracking an eye open, he saw a high ceiling painted a light blue, flower petals coating the corners. Sunshine filtered through the uneven curtains, the light strong but its warmness lost. He tried to move a little, opening his other eye as well, when he sensed a weight settled over his left hand. He tried to look down and see who it was, but he could only manage a weak head lift. It was enough, because the vibrant red hair gave it away. _I managed to get to Blutige’s…_ His first thought was that he needed to get away from there. He was a danger to the district, something Blutige had nurtured and kept safe for centuries. Minho groaned when he realized that he was too weak to even move, much less get away from there.

        The sound woke Blutige up, her eyes widening and body jumping straight, instantly searching for Minho. She peered down at him from above, hands plastered on his cheeks to move his head from side to side to check his wounds.

        “What happened?” Her voice was rough, scratchy from just waking up. Minho sighed as he remembered how careless he was the night before, launching in on the story and on exactly what’d happened. He couldn’t help but recoil from the look Blutige sent his way when he mentioned how he teleported away from Jisung just to keep him safe. “Minho, I know it’s really important for you, but would you please listen to me?” Minho nodded. There was nothing else he could do. “You are a very strong shaman, one of the strongest that there are. You could very well protect Jisung against even a greater demon or a general. Jisung is very strong on his own too, as well as his family. There’s no reason for you to stay away from your mate in such times. You would be stronger together.”

        “I don’t want history to repeat again, Blutige…” Minho whispered in a defeated voice, looking away from her. His words were enough to bring the entire story told by Seungmin to her back in her mind, rendering her silent. She had nothing to say that could make him feel better. What she _could_ do was to bring him tea to help him heal faster. She left Minho to rest, forbidding him from leaving anywhere, while she went to her room to call Chan and announce that she’d found their shaman.

****

        “Blutige? Open up, we’re here.” Hyunjin shouted as he knocked against the door, hoping that she remembered that they would be coming. He’d made sure to send a message last night, announcing that they would be coming over. Next to him, Seungmin shuffled from foot to foot anxiously.

        When the shaman opened the door, she looked as if she’d been ran over by a truck. She had dark bags underneath her eyes, her skin pale and posture hunched with tiredness. “Morning guys.” She smiled a little, ushering them inside. She was wearing loose black pants and a size too big pink sweater that seemed to swallow her body completely. “What brings you here?”

        “As Chan told you, Minho disappeared last night because demons found out his location. We wanted to ask of you if you could please create a charm that would completely delete Jisung off of the supernatural map.”

        “You want to hide him completely? Why?” Blutige inquired, curious as to whether they knew that Minho and Jisung were mates.

        “Minho would blame himself if something were to happen.” Seungmin said shortly, looking up at Blutige. They locked into a staring contest for a few moments before Blutige looked away and sighed.

        “It can be done. I just need a few hours.” Hyunjin acted before he could stop himself, hugging Blutige tightly. Her tired eyes popped with surprise before she relaxed in the embrace, hugging him back.

        “Thank you so much.” He murmured into the hug, Blutige nodding gently. She opened her eyes and looked at Seungmin, noticing the gentle look on his face. He and Hyunjin really complemented each other.

        A bang from upstairs gathered their attention, Blutige’s face drawing into realization. “That little…” Seungmin was running up the stairs before Blutige or Hyunjin could stop him. When he got to one of the guest rooms, he threw the door open, glaring at the freshly dressed Minho ready to fast travel again. “Don’t you dare!” Seungmin shouted, jumping onto him. Minho grunted in pain, trying to move from underneath the other, when Seungmin pinned him to the ground even more. Hyunjin and Blutige finally managed to reach the second floor, stopping in the doorframe.

        Seungmin was angry and pissed, and Minho never thought he’d see those expressions aimed at him. “Why did you leave without me?! We were supposed to be a team ever after leaving the Dark Realm. I’m supposed to take care of you as much as you’re supposed to take care of me! We’re in this together. You’re not the only one hunted by demons, yet you don’t see me running all the time. I want to stop running! Think about Jisung! Do you know what happened last night? He came back home looking like a mess and then _blacked out_ , probably thinking that he’d never get to see you again because he _knows_  of how you would react if your location was discovered. We can fight back, Minho. _It’s time we stop running away._ ” Hyunjin felt his eyes tear up at Seungmin’s words and the way the other desperately grabbed at Minho’s shirt, peering into his eyes. Minho’s were as wide as saucers, hands frozen mid-air without knowing what to do with them. A myriad of emotions passed through his eyes before he suddenly pulled Seungmin down to hug him tightly, eyes scrunching shut as tears fell.

        “You’re incredible and I think I’m not telling that enough to you…” He muttered with a thick voice, hands clasping tighter into his shirt. Seungmin settled into his hug, breathing a sigh of relief. It was easier to convince the other to stay than he’d expected. He thanked the deities for the help, thinking that now they could fight back together. “…but I can’t drag you into this Seungmin. I won’t allow you to endanger yourself and your mate for my sake.” Minho smiled sadly at Seungmin before he disappeared in a flash of blue, Seungmin’s body hitting the floor with a small thud, his eyes wide as his hands grasped at nothing. _How did this happen again…_

        “Damn it!” Seungmin shouted, hitting the floor with his fist, making Blutige jump in surprise, hand still covering her mouth in an attempt to control herself. Seungmin knew everything that there was about Minho’s past, about his incidents. He knew that there was a possibility of Minho doing that, he’d just hoped he wouldn’t act on it. He felt a hand on his back, warm and empathetic, and he felt like crying at his failure of bringing Minho back. He could understand Minho better than anyone, but at times, he felt as if he didn’t even _know_ him.

        They remained at Blutige’s house for a few more hours as she finished the charm for Jisung, working on it well into the afternoon. They waited in her living room, Seungmin lost in his own thoughts with his head in Hyunjin’s lap while the other threaded his fingers through his maroon locks. His first reaction after Minho teleported again was to cry, the pent up stress that had gathered exploding. Afterwards, it was only a tug of war between his body and his thoughts. He wanted to start looking for the other while his mind wired up with locations where he could go. He was certain that Minho left primarily because he didn’t want what’d happened centuries ago to happen again. Seungmin hadn’t been there when that had happened, but he’d learned from Minho each and every detail when the other broke down in his rented apartment a few days later.

        “Boys…” Blutige spoke softly as she entered the living room, smiling apologetically when Hyunjin jerked his head up, eyes fluttering open sleepily. Seungmin was deep in sleep as well, although her voice was enough to snap him out of it. “The charm is ready. If you want, you can-“

        “It’s alright Blutige. There’s no time for us to waste.” Seungmin spoke with a rough voice, unused for so many hours and raw from dried tears. He nodded his head and got up from the couch, Hyunjin looking up at him with attentive eyes. “Thank you so much.” His voice wavered a little, tugging at the strings around Blutige’s heart. She nodded, lips parted as if she wanted to say something more, but then again, some emotions can be translated into words while others cannot, lips shutting with a sigh.

        They followed her to the main office, watching with loose lips and curious eyes as she held up a beautiful fiery jewel encased in a blue metal cage, a satin black thread curling through the round hole and clasping into a lock at the back. It was mesmerizing to look at, a true shaman jewel indeed. As she packed the necklace into a green case and enchanted it to hide it from possible hunters, Hyunjin noticed the way Seungmin’s fingers trembled. He reached down and intertwined their fingers, drawing Seungmin closer to him and planting a soft kiss on his temple.

        “Everything will be fine in the end.”

        “I hope so.”

****

        Jisung had heard from Chan that Blutige had found Minho, so he couldn’t help but hope. When Seungmin and Hyunjin came back, he rushed out the front door, wanting to see Minho and to apologize for not getting sooner to him…but he wasn’t with them. Hyunjin looked off to the side, not wanting to see Jisung’s disappointment, while Seungmin stared at the other’s charm.

        “Where is he?” Jisung inquired in a barely audible voice, walking close to the two. Seungmin took in a deep breath, preparing himself.

        “We managed to find him, Jisung, but he got away again. Blutige found him last night and treated him, but when I tried to talk him into coming back, he fast traveled again before I could stop him.” The apologetic words floated between them, left unsaid. Surprising Seungmin, Jisung placed a hand on his shoulder and drew him into a hug.

        “Why would he do that? Why is he still running? We are strong enough to defend him…” Seungmin relaxed into the hug, somehow compelled by Jisung’s warmth. He could see Hyunjin from the side smiling a little at the both of them, although it was gone the second Jisung spoke again. “Is it because I couldn’t get to him sooner to stop the demons?”

        “Jisungie, it’s not your fault in the slightest. It all links back to something that happened a few centuries ago with-…how about we go inside first? I would prefer it if no one else heard of this.” Jisung nodded reluctantly, stepping aside from Seungmin while Hyunjin started to walk towards their apartment. “And where do you think you’re going?” Seungmin questioned, fingers curling into the back of Hyunjin’s shirt. Hyunjin turned around slowly, his plump lips parted, eyes slightly widened.

        “…inside?”

        “You aren’t part of those who _shouldn’t hear_.”

        “Oh.” Hyunjin felt stupid for thinking that, laughing awkwardly as Seungmin sighed and pulled him inside the apartment that he shared with Minho and Changbin. Changbin was still at L7L for his shift and would remain there for at least one more hour before Seungmin would have to go and switch with him.

        They settled in the living room on the couch, Hyunjin leaning against the edge of it whilst Seungmin sat with Jisung close to the middle.

        “A few centuries ago, we were traveling through Egypt where Minho had a family friend from before he was exiled. Minho’s location got discovered at one point while we were there and he _panicked._ I barely managed to keep him from teleporting us away before his friend came and talked him into staying because they were a strong family and they could protect us. Minho agreed and a few days later, a group of demons arrived. Yes, his friend’s family was strong and they would’ve managed to hold their own against a group of demons, but what came after Minho wasn’t your average group. You see, when he was a captive in the Dark Realm, his strong aura and stubborn attitude caught the eyes of a general. The third in command, in fact. We didn’t know that much about him at that time, but after Minho escaped the first time, he sought shelter from a demon that he knew was part of the fairy resistance. Said demon was the second in command and he explained to Minho how the third was insane and driven by power. Even he, despite being stronger, avoided him. The third in command took it upon himself to place Minho through the worst of tortures in order to make him give in to the black blood, but Minho was relentless as well. He fought back and after he managed to escape with me, the general made it his personal mission to bring Minho back. He killed Minho’s friend, and with their dying breaths, the family sent Minho away from their house. They died to protect him.” Seungmin leaned closer and grasped Jisung’s hands in his comfortingly. “Jisung, he’s afraid that the same would happen to you and your family if he stays. He still blames himself for their deaths…it’s no wonder he wouldn’t listen to us. His fears aren’t based on what ifs, but on certain events that already happened once.” Seungmin smiled sadly at Jisung, reaching out to brush away the stray tear from the other’s cheek. Jisung closed his eyes and took in a shuddering breath, fingers clenching into fists. Just how much pain did Minho go through before he met Jisung? Jisung wanted to take all of that pain away, to make it better for Minho…but what could he do when the other wasn’t going to allow that of him…

        “Jisung?” Hyunjin questioned, feeling the crackling static around them. He could see something dark mingling with the shadows that Jisung’s hair cast above his ears, something that disappeared almost as soon as Jisung opened his eyes. Hyunjin shook his head, worried that he was seeing things. “Here, this is supposed to glamour you completely. It’s from Blutige.” Seungmin grabbed the necklace from his mate and fastened it around Jisung’s neck, eyebrows rising when the fire fairy hissed. “You okay?”

        Jisung nodded quickly, pretending as if it didn’t happen. They didn’t need to know that the necklace burned him when it made contact with his skin, almost as if something was rejecting it. He felt around the gem gently, smiling a little at the warmth that it emitted. He felt as though Blutige was next to him, an angel in disguise wrapping its wings around him securely.

****

        Somewhere during the middle of the week, Minho realized that he could no longer stay in the shallow apartment on the outskirts of Busan when his tattoos started to itch with the need to be within relatively close distance of Jisung. He traveled back to Seoul, renting an apartment close to the suburbs, hoping that he wouldn’t suddenly bump into any of them. He went as far as to erase every single trace of him wherever he went, so no one could identify him or track him by scent. He dressed in baggy clothes and caps and hoods and avoided walking out during daytime, erasing each demon that passed through his ways. It became a habit of his, to leave out during the late hours of the night to hunt.

        It started out as a habit, but the results of his actions were felt far into the heart of Seoul. The streets were safer at night, the alleys lighter than they used to be.

        He was out again, roaming through the deserted streets in the harsh winds of the night. There was only him and the moonlight, or at it least that’s what he thought until a stronger presence filtered through the shadows, red eyes glinting into his. Minho, out of instinct, took a few steps back, staff outstretched and ready to attack the Fae.

        “Easy there, I come on peaceful terms. Can’t I stroll around at night too?” The voice was smooth, teasing, knowing, as if he’d watched Minho hunt before. He lowered his staff, still reluctant enough to approach the Fae. Grinning, the man approached Minho instead and passed by him, sitting down on the border of a random shop. “Join me, I want to talk.” Minho felt as though he should recognize the other from somewhere, but his thoughts were muddled with numbness, fear, loss and anger. He sat down, staff minimalizing back in its tattoo. The Fae outstretched his hands, gloved fingers popping loudly, black fabric rubbing together as he wiggled them.

        “What are you doing out here?” The Fae tried again. Minho sighed and leaned with his back against the wall, the coldness of the cement seeping into his bones. The other’s energy felt familiar in a good way, so he didn’t feel anything that would tell him it wasn’t safe to talk.

        “Hunting? It relaxes me, knowing that there are fewer demons around that could hurt those dear to me.”

        “You could simply go back home and fight from there, Azurblau. The third in command is busy right now, too busy to meddle with the demons that are looking for you.”

        “And how would you know? Maybe someone sent you to take me back?”

        “Did Chan really not tell you who I am? And after we fought together in different areas…” Minho frowned at that, looking yet again at the ruffled purplish, indigo locks and red eyes. The confusion all over his face spoke more than his mouth did for the Fae. “My name is Namjoon, and I’ve come here to train Felix.”

        “Ah, now I remember. Sorry for that.”

        “Nah, it’s alright. It’s better to be wary than to regret it later.”

        “What did you mean by _busy_? What is the third in command doing?”

        “I don’t know much, but I heard that his interest was gathered by some news regarding the second in command and a female Fae. Apparently, he’s searching for someone else linked to them, but I don’t know who. No one knows, in fact.”

        “Even if what you say is true, there are too many demons around. I prefer to stay hidden in the shadows and take care of them rather than make them go through this as well…”

        “Well then, if that’s so…” Namjoon exclaimed, getting up and stretching his back and shoulders. “How about we go hunting. Together.” Minho felt the refusal on the tip of his tongue, but it was pushed down by the curiosity that he felt. He wanted to see the other fight.

        “Alright then.”

****

        The table wasn’t quite as livelier as Jeongin had grown used to. Probably because one of them was missing, Minho, and Jisung and Seungmin were both with their morals to the ground, Seungmin dealing with it better than Jisung.

        Namjoon had been quiet while at the table too, so lost in his own thoughts that his cup almost overflowed with coffee from pouring without really looking. He’d apologized with a small smile before relapsing into the dull silence. When the door to the kitchen opened, all of the heads bopped upwards to look at the two sleepy Fae. Felix and Jisung were almost leaning into each other for support, hands linked and eyes peeking open. Felix had managed to coax Jisung out of bed after two days now to eat some food with the others, and he considered that progress. Between managing his training hours with Namjoon, classes and the unnatural tiredness that seemed to seep away from Jisung and into their family bonds, it was almost impossible for him to keep up. Said tiredness seemed to affect him the most, maybe because he had the same element as Jisung, or maybe for another reason, he had no idea. All that he knew was that he felt better, and Jisung too, when they were in close quarters.

        They chatted almost mindlessly as Hyunjin and Woojin spread out the dishes, sharing quiet glances around. Jisung was caught in a small debate about soup plants with Jeongin when he heard Chan talk.

        “…there are fewer demons around Seoul. It’s as if something drew them away.”

        “Well of course there are fewer since Minho is missing! He drew their attention away…” Jisung retorted, looking away when he caught Chan’s guilty expression. He hadn’t meant to lash out like that.

        “I know that Sungie, but what I’m trying to say is that maybe something else, something even bigger, is happening. I have this bad feeling ever since yesterday, and it doesn’t link only to Minho.”

        “I’m feeling it as well.”

        “Me too.” Felix and Jeongin added, whilst Namjoon looked away, suddenly too busy with his food. His reaction felt a bit off to Woojin. Narrowing his eyes, he chose to observe him while Felix started to talk.

        “The pixies are also quite agitated, Shiaj especially. He keeps on shivering from time to time, despite hiding it away from me. I bet that he’s cuddling in my beanie right now in the darkness beneath my bed.”

        “Couldn’t it be because of the upcoming winter?” Seungmin provided, engaging in on the conversation.

        “We’ve been through winters outside our home. Bad winters. Shiaj never acted like that.” Felix complained, leaning with his hands over the table, dishes free of food in front of him. Woojin frowned, skimming through his entire knowledge upon pixies of demonic descent and situations in which they would feel agitated. Some scenarios came to his mind, but he pushed them aside, not even wanting to consider the possibilities.

        “Before I forget, guys…thank you so much for sending that message prior to the demons attacking. Because of that message to Jungkook and Jimin, they managed to protect both Busan and themselves in time.” Namjoon bowed out of habit to them, grateful eyes peering into theirs. Chan placed a hand on the other’s shoulder, shaking him a little and smiling.

        “That’s our duty, Joonie. If we don’t do that for our kin, then who would.”

       

        “Sorry that I can’t stay longer, but I have to head out for my shift at the café. I’ll see you during the first break?” Seungmin explained as he got up half an hour later, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. Felix nodded at him, getting up to leave the room along with Jisung; he would have to worry about classes and training later, and also about the text that he received from Changbin, asking if he had time to come over at the studio. That boy honestly did not know at times what it meant to sleep at normal hours and to work during daytime. Felix would have to scold him for that.

        “I’ll lead you to the door.” Hyunjin said, getting up with a spring in his step. One wouldn’t have to look too close to notice the rosiness adorning Seungmin’s cheeks.

****

        They went past the light post. They went past the cement buildings. “Aren’t we supposed to be there already?” Yedam questioned in the paleness of the morning. The time was drawing closer to 10 am, but the sun was so weak; Jeongin could even say that it was afternoon for all he knew.

        He and Yedam were supposed to reach a further-south region in Seoul where another demon attack had taken place. It was Jeongin’s idea, back in Krey’s office when he and Yedam went to visit and Krey informed them of another attack that had happened.   _Are you sure you are safe to go?_ Krey had inquired, taking in Jeongin’s bright, excited eyes. Jeongin nodded rapidly, reassuring Krey that he was ok to go and check the area out. _I want to put my training to good use and this is the perfect opportunity._ Yedam had initially gone to see Krey with Jeongin because he hadn’t seen the other for almost a month, but at the prospect of Jeongin leaving to investigate an area that may or may not be roamed by demons, he felt something that urged him to go with the other to make sure that he was safe.

       “I think we’re around the area…” Jeongin whispered back, inching closer to Yedam without noticing. The first time they looked at the newspaper, Jeongin had thought that it was the handiwork of Yedam’s uncle, but the other was quick to shoot down those thoughts, claiming that he…recognized the way his uncle preferred to kill, and it wasn’t like that. Jeongin’s hand had automatically gravitated towards the other’s at his words, reassuring him that he was by his side.

        They stopped and quickly plastered their backs to a nearby building, ears picking up the sounds of footsteps coming from ahead. Jeongin could tell that it was no human, the area turning colder and darker. He signaled Yedam and they started to walk backwards until they reached the corner of the building. Two demons were trailing along the edges of the tall building, half of their bodies hidden in shadows. Jeongin wasn’t as good as his brothers at identifying the different types of demons, so he couldn’t really tell what type it was. Yedam didn’t seem to know either, eyes skipping from side to side nervously.

        The demons were almost out of view when Jeongin felt something else approach from behind. He turned around quickly, stopping another demon from touching Yedam just in the nick of time. Yedam was fast, jumping to the side and behind the demon, hands grabbing at its shoulders and knee hitting at the other’s, the demon’s legs buckling. The demon tried to get back up, but Yedam’s arms were strong, stronger than him, pinning him down as if to prepare him for an execution. Jeongin brought forward his arm, nails elongating into strong, sharp black claws, the skin around his forearms tainting black, dipping into shadows. Jeongin’s eyes glowed a bright green along the slitted pupil, canines peeking from behind pink lips as he brought his hand forwards and punctured the demon’s chest, ripping its heart out. It was a low class, so he had no chance around the two tribal fairies.

        “I kind of missed this…” Jeongin murmured, low, but not low enough for Yedam to not hear. Red eyes flitted up to meet his, mouth parting in surprise.

        “How? If you’re a nursing fairy, how could you have fought before?” Jeongin averted his eyes, the subject a tad too close to his past for his liking. He was about to come up with an excuse or a sentence to change the subject, but someone else did it for him; the two demons that have been walking by the side of the building were now going for them, having sensed the death of their lower worker. Yedam cursed when he saw three other demons disguised as humans start approaching as well, pushing Jeongin out of the way and into the alley parallel to the one from where they were coming.  “Any ideas, Foxy?”

        “Foxy? Where did you come up with _that_?”

        “What? Don’t like it?” Yedam grinned so slyly it almost placed Jeongin’s own grin to shame. It really wasn’t the time for them to banter like this with demons approaching.

        “Maybe. What if I don’t?”

        “Too bad, I’m still gonna call you that.” It was probably the rapid pace of his heart and the rising tension with the demons approaching that made him feel so courageous, ready to bite back at Jeongin’s remarks with newfound glee. When they were surrounded by the vile creatures, Yedam lashed out at the same time as Jeongin, techniques and fists flying. The demons, once confident, were now cowering away, staring at each other with slight panic as if to ask what to do.

        Yedam almost whirled around in surprise when he felt a tense back pressing against his, a warm body colliding with his. He relaxed when he saw the ruffled dark locks and mischievous grin, claws dripping black. There was this sort of maniacal glint in Jeongin’s eyes as he regarded the demons, the way a starved lion would regard a piece of meat that was kept away from him for years.

        In only a matter of minutes, they were left alone in the alley, the only visible traces that demons had been there before being the pools of blackness that slowly trickled away towards the sewer systems. Yedam, who’d been keeping his eyes scrunched as he tried to normalize his breathing, finally opened them, looking around. His fighting style was immensely different from Jeongin’s; while he preferred to snap necks and section heads away using raw strength, Jeongin preferred to use his claws to pierce the chest in order to reach the heart and rip it out. His style was messier and a lot more brutal.

        _Ring. Ring. Ring._ Jeongin jumped a little out of his skin, reaching for his phone when he heard the thing rumble loudly and vibrate in his pant pocket. _Krey._

        “Yeah?”

        “ _How did it go?”_

        “I don’t think there’ll be any more victims from now on. Or at least until another group arrives.” Jeongin could hear a sigh of relief coming from the other end. He was more than certain that Krey was relieved they were safe. “You shouldn’t’ve worried about us too much. You’re a really good teacher, give yourself more credit.” Krey laughed, the sound a bit tuned out by the poor connection.

        _“Are you coming back soon?”_

        “On our way.” Jeongin remarked, ending the conversation and turning around to look at Yedam and smile. “See, that wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be.”

        “Yeah, it wasn’t, but it could’ve been. I like to be pessimistic, it makes me feel safer.” Jeongin shook his head with a low, barely there chuckle, feet turning his body so he could head out into the open alley and back to the central street. A hand around his bicep stopped him from doing so. “What’s wrong?” He asked, turning around to look at Yedam. The other seemed to be a little lost in thought, eyes unfocused. With a shake of his head, Yedam walked closer, hand rising up, fingers pulling the edge of his sleeve over his knuckles.

        “You’ve got blood on your cheek.” Jeongin watched with slightly round eyes, feet glued to the ground. Yedam brushed his covered knuckles over his left cheekbone, rubbing it a little. When he took his hand away, Jeongin saw that the white edge of the material was now tainted black. He smiled up at Yedam.       

      “Thanks. Although, you shouldn’t have dirtied your shirt.”

        “Shut up and accept my nice gesture.” Jeongin laughed loudly before grabbing at Yedam’s shoulder, tugging him rather strongly towards the main street.

        “Ya, I’m older, you shut up.” Yedam mocked the way he spoke, running away from Jeongin when the other said _oh no, you don’t._ They ended up chasing each other all the way back to the university, Krey raising an eyebrow at their out of breath and sweaty selves.

****

        The meadow inside the forest felt so alive to Felix. It was unlike any other forest that he’d visited in the Human Realm. Despite it almost being winter, the nature was _thriving_ in there; there were birds playing around and screeching and hopping from branch to branch, ruffling the _green_ leaves and swaying with their wings against the warm breeze. The grass was lush and soft underneath Felix’s bare feet, fingers catching at small blades and twisting them in between, taking in the scent of greenery. He was wearing plain white clothes, loose pants and a muscle top, his hair swept away from his face.

        Ever since last Monday, he and Namjoon teleported to the meadow to train his phoenix, each day at the same hour and for the same amount of time. Felix had no idea where the meadow was, Namjoon insisting that it wasn’t important for him to know. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy at times, because the energy of the field and the greenery reminded him too much of the Fairy Realm.

        They were on day three of training, and Felix was actually progressing. Namjoon had started from the bottom with him, going over the basics of inner energy and output control before going higher, teaching the younger to control his fire better and reach inwards to feel his phoenix.

        “Felix?” Namjoon inquired, the sounds around the forest suddenly going quiet. Felix wanted to open his eyes but it felt as though he shouldn’t, so he didn’t. He hummed instead, listening in for Namjoon’s calm voice. “You’re doing it wrong. Hold your hands upwards. More. Mor- Perfect. Hold them like that and tilt your head upwards. Straighten your back and feel the way your muscles are tensing. Are they tense?”

        “Very.” Felix gritted out, hands trembling a little from the strain, but it soon passed. His years of bodily training and muscle building were helping him now, his body barely quivering in front of the tiring position after getting used to it.

        “That’s good. Do you feel your forehead warming up?”

        “It was hot for a minute now?”

        “You’re supposed to tell me that!” Namjoon threw his hands up in the air, suddenly exasperated. Felix struggled not to focus too much on him or otherwise his control would break and he would laugh. “That’s really good, though next time you should tell me sooner.”

        “Aye sir.” Felix could feel his phoenix lying dormant, although now, it felt as though Felix and him were standing on equal foot rather than Felix ten feet under while the phoenix reigned over his energy and fire. Well, Felix was actually at five feet under and he still had to work to gather more control over him, but he was getting there.

        “Open your eyes now, let’s see if you’ve got this.” Namjoon said after half an hour more of staying in that position. When Felix opened his eyes, they didn’t need to adjust to the brightness of the meadow; they saw everything as clear as day. Namjoon nodded, approving of something that Felix did not see. “Here, take this.” Namjoon said, luring a small, bright blue bird from the trees and holding it gently in his palms towards him. Felix spread his own and allowed the bird to hop over to him, staring at it blankly before looking up at Namjoon with terrified eyes.

        “You’re not going to make me burn it right?!”

        “Oh deity, you’re not serious! I’m not that crazy!” Namjoon retorted, sighing heavily. “Of course I won’t tell you to burn it. I want to teach you something. It’s the first, most basic and actually only command that I ever learned to use with my phoenix. A compelling command.”

        “Compelling command?”

        “Yeah. It’ll be like…you know how Woojin is a nixie demifae, right? Well, he has the ability to charm people into doing whatever he wants, and is quite strong in doing that. This command is not as strong, but it can still get the job done and while it cannot control people’s minds as well, it can control their energies to a certain extent.”

        “Under what circumstances did you use it before?” Felix bit onto his lower lip, stomach twisting with unexpected nervousness. He felt weird even thinking about controlling others.

        “Well…once, when I was over at Taehyung’s house, a client started getting aggressive because we wouldn’t accept his offer. So, I used my command to stop him from performing any kind of magic.”

        “That’s…useful.”

        “It really is. You shouldn’t worry about the morals behind using the command. When you deem it necessary, use it, because it might even save a life.” With no other words left, Felix turned his attention back to the bird. It felt so relaxed in Felix’s company that its eyelids were already drooping low, feathers smooth and unruffled. Felix stared at the bird, suddenly at a loss, not knowing what he was supposed to do. He looked up at Namjoon again, but the other was simply watching him as if he was supposed to figure it out on his own.

        He was about to close his eyes when Namjoon made a sound of disapproval. Felix looked sharply up at him, but Namjoon was too busy studying the different blades of grass that looked the _same_. With a huff, Felix looked back at the bird, bringing it closer to his face and peering into its black eyes as if it knew what he was supposed to do.

        “Fly.” The bird stared at him. “Fly.” He tried again, ending up with the same result. He almost huffed in frustration again when he felt something snap, the phoenix growing agitated a bit. _“Fly.”_ For a few, painful seconds, nothing happened, but then, the blue feathered bird spread its wings and flapped upwards towards the sky, _flying_ , before it shook its beak and landed back onto the ground. The command had worn off.

        Namjoon clapping his hands brought Felix out of his daze, the grin that the other wore reassuring Felix that that had _actually_ happened _._ “See? I was sure you could do it! You’ll still need to work on it until it can last longer and be more powerful, but that was a nice first try.” Felix smiled widely, surprised that it’d actually worked. He could feel the tips of his fingers burn with energy just waiting to be unleashed, but he restricted it, controlling it the way Namjoon had shown him to.

        “Are we done for the day? Can we go back?” Namjoon nodded, although he stopped Felix when he tried to get up.

        “We are done, but before we can leave you need to change your eyes back.”

        “My eyes?”

        “They’re red.” Namjoon’s smile couldn’t get any wider, proudness embedded into his face. The sunset in Felix’s eyes getting replaced by blood red shards was the first step among many others in getting to control the phoenix, and, to the both of them, each step meant progress.


	38. Azurblau's Unraveling Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guyss, here's part two^^ have fun and enjoy reading it and....DON'T WORRY THINGS'LL BE FINE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! i love y'all, stay safe!!

        When Felix and Namjoon returned to Seoul through the portal, it was almost dark outside.  When he was with the other, training, he forgot everything about his day in order to focus, but now that he was back at the university, he remembered just how tense classes were, Minho’s empty seat glaring into his soul; he’d stayed with Jisung for the entirety of the day, Changbin completely understanding of his actions. The other had been far too sleepy to even do more than question him with his eyes before nodding and shifting his barely there focus on their teacher. Felix had complained to him that it wasn’t healthy to stay up at night only to work on lyrics in the new studio, but Changbin had reassured him that he wasn’t overworking himself and that it was only for a few days because he was just _that_ excited about the new studio. Changbin couldn’t really tell Felix that he kept on having reoccurring nightmares that kept him from sleeping, nightmares in which he saw unfamiliar faces and strange creatures.

        Despite Changbin attempting to mask his nightmares and tiredness, Felix noticed as usually. It pained him whenever he sensed the other waking up from nightmares, even more so because he couldn’t do anything about them until the seal was broken.

        When Felix finished talking with Chan and Woojin about the progress of that day, Namjoon leaning against the doorway with a pleased look on his face, he headed for apartment 73, passing by Hyunjin’s room where he and Jeongin were playing a regular board game with Seungmin and Jisung in an attempt to distract the two from their own minds. It seemed to work, for the most part, Jisung chuckling with Seungmin when they managed to trick Hyunjin to fall into a cage.

        The apartment was dark, apart from the outside orange and indigo hues streaming from the living room windows and that one single light coming from the office room. Felix skipped over to it, knowing that just by seeing his mate he would feel better.

        Inside, Changbin was swaying with his desk chair, forwards and backwards, pen between his teeth, eyebrows pulled into a frown, a lock of hair bothering his vision and always falling over his round glasses no matter how many times he pushed it back. He was reading something from his notebook, vials with liquids in them lined out in his wooden support. Felix loved to watch him work.

        “What’re you doing there?” He inquired as he approached him, encircling his arms around Changbin’s shoulders and pressing a soft kiss on his temple. Changbin leaned in his embrace, dropping the pen onto the table along with the notebook. Felix straightened up, leaning into the back of the chair and pressing his palms upon Changbin’s shoulders, looking down at him.

        “Just playing around with other things while trying to get over my failed homework.”

        “Failed? You?”

        “I know. Unbelievable.”

        “Can I help?”

        “Please.” Changbin looked upwards, leaning more into Felix. He smiled and beckoned the other closer, Felix bending down with a curious frown. When he was close enough, Changbin reached his hand out and brushed at Felix’s nape, bringing him even closer so he could kiss him upside down. It was…definitely something different, and a bit awkward at first because of the angle, but then Felix tilted his head a little and brought a hand forwards to brush his fingers over Changbin’s cheek and settle them across his jaw, dragging his lips softly over the other’s. It still surprised him just how intense the slightest of touches felt.

        “That was nice…” Felix ghosted the words across the other’s lips, smiling softly. Changbin curled his fingers in the other’s blonde locks, pressing another long-lasting kiss on his lips before straightening his back, dragging Felix over to sit down in the chair next to his.

        With his help, Changbin could easily figure out what he’d been doing wrong in only a matter of minutes. He’d ordered the vials wrongly, one of them even wearing an incorrect label. It was all because of a simple mistake made out of carelessness. Moments later, Felix realized that those were not the only mistakes.

        “You should’ve used this serum instead of that one.”

        “Why?”

        “Because. This serum is supposed to help with the breakdown of the minerals while this one is supposed to be added _after_ that.” They weren’t really arguing, more like withholding their respective points of view: Changbin kept on saying that he was using the serums in the normal order, while Felix insisted that he got it all wrong. “Look, it says so right here.” Changbin read through the paragraph, again, revelation blooming on his face. He was really tired if he didn’t see _that_ before. “See!” Even Felix noticed his revelation, smiling victoriously.

        “So you’re saying that I’m supposed to use it before this one?” Changbin inquired just to make sure, _and maybe he enjoyed it when Felix explained things to him_ , pointing at the green vial on the wooden support.

        “Yes, yes, you’re supposed to use that one after this pink one. Although I added alcohol to mine in an attempt to speed up the process and it actually worked!” Felix enlightened, motioning with his hands. He slowed down with his words when he noticed the way Changbin was staring at him, eyes a little lost as if his mind was elsewhere, head held up by his hand. He’d been meaning to ask why he was looking like that at him when Changbin removed his hand and cupped Felix’s jaw, drawing him in another kiss. He’d missed the younger all day and now that he had him in front of him, he couldn’t help but want to kiss him more, homework forgotten. Felix made a muffled sound of surprise, pressing into the kiss before separating with a _hey, I was still talking,_ to which Changbin only drew him in another kiss, pulling him even closer.

        “We just kissed a few minutes ago and we have homework to finish.” Felix tried to reason with a concealed smile, playing with the hairs at the other’s nape. Changbin tilted his head cutely to the side.

        “Well, I’ve missed you all day and I can never get tired of kissing you, love” He grinned widely, drinking in Felix’s reaction to his words: the boy stared at him for a total of three seconds before his cheeks flared up a bright red, hands flying in the air as his chair tilted a little before dropping back on its four legs as Felix tried his best to _hide_ his face in Changbin’s book, suddenly very interested with the curled white stems of the parasitic plant Lathraea squamaria and the way it fed off of hazel and alder roots. Changbin covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to control himself from laughing, his own cheeks bright with color. Felix was too cute for his own good.

        Minutes later after they were both supposedly absorbed with their books, Changbin felt lips on his cheek, the pressure gone the next second so fast that he wondered whether he’d imagined it. One look at Felix and he knew he hadn’t; the other was hiding his face in the pages of the book even more.

****

        After Jeongin nodded off for the fifth time during their endless game, Hyunjin called it a night, carrying Jeongin off to his room before leaving with Seungmin to his own while Jisung camped out in Jeongin’s room, cuddling to his warm body underneath the covers. It was reassuring to have the other’s energy so close to him.

        Somewhere during the night, a little past midnight, Jisung woke up in a cold sweat. Jeongin had rolled onto his side in his sleep, blanket tucked in around his body, head almost underneath it to avoid the slightly cold air. Sighing into the silence, Jisung got up, immediately covering the younger back with the blanket so the cold would not enter his bed, before leaving the room. He needed fresh air.

        The streets were truly deserted, barren of any life. The necklace hung heavily from his neck despite its light weight, the energy that encircled him in the protective cocoon hugging him, but also hurting him. It got better the more he wore it, but something inside of his body still rejected the pure energy. Jisung had a thought that it was his dark blood rejecting it.

        His feet dragged him across the park and into the forest, body moving as if on autopilot. The forest was dark, so dark that even with his night vision he had difficulty navigating it. Lost in his own thoughts, Jisung didn’t even realize it when he reached one of the meadows that he liked to visit from time to time, although it wasn’t as green or as lively as it used to during summer. He closed his eyes when he reached the center, the pale moonlight brushing his eyelids with feathery touches. It was just him, the moon and the stars in the meadow, all open to his own hurting soul.

        The demons that were prowling the area didn’t even manage to get closer to Jisung, whom they considered to be a mere lost human because of the necklace, for Mother Earth guided the forest to defend Jisung, the soil underneath the demon’s feet swallowing them whole.

        Jisung heard the sounds and turned around slowly, taking in the negative energy that was swiftly being washed away by the brusque cold wind. He saw Mother Earth standing right at the edge of the meadow, the trees encircling it curled in on themselves as if to create a barrier around Jisung, securing him inside from the outside world. He wasn’t even surprised to see Mother Earth in her full form and not as a blue orb, although he couldn’t help but wonder why she was there even though he’d not summoned her. When he was younger and upset, he would always run into meadows and call her, crying out his distress before feeling better as the blue orb flew around him, but this time? It was as though she’d heard his cries without him voicing them.

        “Thanks.” Jisung’s voice trickled through the trees, the melodious notes brushing by her, his saddened smile cutting edges into her being. She said nothing, walking over to him in order to trail her fore finger down his chin, hollowed blue eyes speaking a thousand words that Jisung somehow understood. Out in the Human Realm and even back in the Fairy Realm, Mother Earth acted just like a mother to Jisung; indeed, it wasn’t right from the beginning because he was young and scared and she was inexperienced in the ways to approach him, but after decades, she learned how to comfort him whenever he felt down or lonely, and how to encourage him. Despite his mother bashing his late grandmother, Elulka, for giving him to Mother Earth, he was glad, because that meant he had someone out there, in the nature, who felt just as responsible about him as his own mother. He answered to her unspoken question, pouring out everything that had happened from the very beginning from when he met Minho, up to then. She listened to him ramble about how he wanted to be next to the other to defend him and how he felt angry at the demons for placing Minho through so much pain. Mother Earth made cooing and soft noises at Jisung, finger poking at his cheek and eyebrow muscles drawing together.

        “I know, I know, he has his reasons, but…I want to help him. Protect him. Doesn’t what I want matter?” He felt his eyes sting with emotion, Mother Earth sensing it as well, drawing him in for a hug that was so soothing, he felt as though all of his worries disappeared. It was the first time when she embraced him and Jisung could already affirm that it was one of the best feelings in the world. He was still tired from barely sleeping, so when he started to sway on his own legs, Mother Earth drew them closer to the ground, settling his head in her lap. She started threading her fingers soothingly through his hair, humming gently, other hand embedding into the soil next to them. With droopy eyes, Jisung watched as green grass and flowers sprouted from the ground, red chrysanthemums for hope and golden gladiolus for strength of character. She always did that whenever he was sad, bringing up flowers that he knew the meanings of and that would lift up his spirits. It worked, Jisung falling asleep to the beautiful sight and soothing humming with a small smile on his face.

        Minho was traveling through his usual routes, patrolling to see whether there were any more demons around the area, when he felt him. _Jisung._ He could feel the tension in his body almost dissipate, but then he realized that he couldn’t smell nor feel his energetic mark. The worst of thoughts passed through Minho’s mind as he rushed through the trees, only to stop shortly in front of a meadow: Jisung was resting in a bed of flowers and grass, face peaceful and clear of any worry wrinkles. He wasn’t shifted, but he glowed all the same, as brightly as Minho remembered him to glow. The pale moonlight seemed to be caressing his face, embracing it in a myriad of lights and shadows. As he got closer, he started feeling Mother Earth’s presence, although she wasn’t there. When Minho crouched down beside Jisung and loomed over him, he realized why he was feeling Mother Earth: she’d coated Jisung in her scent to fend off any possible dangers that could launch at him while he slept. Even though Jisung probably felt comfortable of the bed of flowers and surrounded in her scent, he wasn’t completely safe. Mother Earth’s scent would ward off dangerous creatures, but it wouldn’t keep them from approaching.

        Deeming it safe to hold Jisung in his arms with no danger of scenting him without meaning to, Minho secured Jisung’s arms around his neck before passing a hand underneath his knees and another around his waist to get him off of the ground. Jisung didn’t wake up from the sudden moves, to Minho’s relief.

        As he past among the shadows through the halls of the university, he felt as though someone was watching him from the rooftops, unnerving him. When he reached apartment 77, Minho pushed the door open, glad that no one was awake inside. He walked over to Jisung’s room and settled the Fae in the armchair that fit snuggly into the corner before heading towards his bed, palms lighting up so he could warm the surface enough for Jisung to sleep comfortably. He walked over to Jisung and gathered him in his arms again to carry him over to his bed, drawing the thick blankets over his body. For a fleeting second, Jisung’s eyelids fluttered, tired eyes peeking from underneath, hand reaching out to grab at Minho’s sleeve.

        “… _stay…”_ Jisung mumbled, voice thick with sleep. Minho froze in place, sighing when Jisung’s hold on his sleeve loosened, arm almost falling back on the bed. Minho pried his fingers off gently and laid his hand down on the bed before bending down to place a feathery kiss on his forehead. Jisung smiled in his sleep, burying his nose in the fluffy blanket, hands curling around it in a half hug. Minho smiled, before he teleported away from the room, praying to each and every deity that he would find an option to get rid of his black blood so he could be with Jisung.

****

        Chan had been sitting outside on one of the wooden benches for almost three hours now, another sleepless night spent worrying ready to be added to the ever-growing number. He just couldn’t stop thinking about Minho and when the other would come back, or about Felix’s training. No matter how well it was going, he was still worried something would happen. Changbin’s presence was also growing stronger, which meant that the seal was weakening even more, another thing that set him on edge. The coldness and quietude of the campus did a rather good job of keeping him grounded.

        He felt a piece of heavy fabric settling over his shoulders, and when he turned around to look, he found Woojin frowning worriedly at him, hands returning to his sides after he was done placing the wool, warm jacket over. It was warm, making Chan snuggle into it out of habit.

        “What are you doing out here in the cold? You could get sick.” Woojin scolded him, leaning with his hand against the back of the wooden bench. Chan’s lips quirked upwards at Woojin’s words. He uncrossed his legs so he could lean with his elbows on them.

        “I was just trying to take my mind off of things in the cold atmosphere.” Woojin sat down next to him, staring in his tired and stressed eyes.

        “How are they?”

        “Felix is quite alright since the training is going well. I mean, you’ve seen the way he lit up when he started to talk about the progress. He’s with Changbin now, if I’m not wrong. Hyunjin is asleep with Seungmin inside, and so is Jeongin. I think Jisung went out to get some fresh air as well and he’s _still_ _not back_ …I guess you could also say that I’m waiting for him?” Chan murmured, rubbing his hands together, eyes darting around the courtyard as if Jisung would appear just then.

        “Come with me.” Woojin said all of a sudden, tugging him away from the bench and over to the middle of the campus, pulling him closer to his body whilst looking around for anyone that could come. Being in such close proximity made Chan struggle to keep his heartbeat in check. Feeling mischievous all of a sudden, Chan leaned in closer and ghosted a breath over the smooth skin of his neck, lips pressing a phantom kiss on his pulse point, making Woojin shiver and dig his fingers in the other’s waist with a raised eyebrow. “No funny business or I’ll drop you.”

        “Drop me? Wha-“ Chan’s voice got cut off by a strong gust of wind as Woojin unleashed his wings, arms winding tightly around Chan’s waist so he wouldn’t drop him. His wings unfurled, white feathers dipped into pale blue catching moonlight on them. With a few, strong flaps of his wings, they were up in the sky for a few second before Woojin changed directions and dived for the greenhouse. Chan almost started to struggle, saying that _the_ _greenhouse is all glass, what if it breaks underneath us,_ making Woojin laugh loudly and reassure Chan that nothing would happen.

        When their feet hit a wooden surface, Chan opened his scrunched up eyes, gasping in surprise at the small wooden top that rested above the greenhouse. He’d never seen it before, even from inside. The top wasn’t quite in the middle of the glass arcade, but a little to the side, not interfering with the glass circle through which birds traveled in and out of the greenhouse. It seemed sturdy enough to hold two.

        “This is a place I usually went to whenever I wanted some time alone. It also happens to be a great spot to stargaze.” Chan was too busy looking up at the vast night sky filled with stars to notice Woojin’s fond look grazing his figure. He actually didn’t even need to see it, because he could _feel it._ He reached out his hand blindly, his fingers intertwining with his mate’s, smile lighting up his entire face. Woojin really liked to see the other happy and relaxed, because if anyone ever asked him what being stressed meant, he would only have to introduce Chan to them for the person to get the entire semantic field.

        “It’s amazing…” Chan whispered, glancing at Woojin. Their eyes locked, golden orbs getting lost into blue ones, conjoined hands tightening. He could feel his heart beating faster, pulse loud enough for Woojin to hear. Chan couldn’t help but wonder exactly when he started to be so affected by everything the other did.

Woojin hummed lowly in his throat, pulling Chan forward and in between his legs, arms caging him in. Chan smiled and leaned with his back against Woojin’s chest, enjoying the warmth. As Woojin’s pristine wings spread out only to curl inwards to embrace them both, Chan felt a soft press of lips on the side of his head, warmth spreading through his entire body. They continued to stare up at the sky, sharing small stories through whispers and chuckles. A shadow looming by the front gate gathered Chan’s attention, the Fae jumping up in Woojin’s arms to peer over the edge to see better, thinking that it was Jisung finally coming back.

        “That’s Minho! And he’s carrying Jisung! What if something happened to him?!” Woojin was quick to stop Chan from tipping over the edge, dragging him back with his hand on his shoulder.

        “Jisung is fine! I can sense that and so can you through the family bond.”

        “Even so, I need to speak with Minho…” Chan had no idea Minho was still in Seoul and after searching for him for the last three days, it felt like a miracle to see his face again. Woojin’s hand on his shoulder tightened even more.

        “Chan, you cannot interfere.”

        “Why not?”

        “Minho…you know of his past, but there are also things that you don’t know. He will refuse to come back and feel even worse if you went after him. Everything will settle down soon, I can feel it.” Chan stared into Woojin’s reassuring eyes, trying to quench the worry that started to brew inside of him. “Come here.” Woojin spread his arms wide, tips of his wings tilting upwards. With a final sigh, Chan collapsed in his arms, cuddling closer in the warmth of his own safe haven. The warmth would distract him from the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, at least for now. Woojin sighed inwardly and settled his chin gently on top of Chan’s head, singing underneath his breath in an attempt to calm him down more.

****

        “-and if a fairy develops the ability to control more than one element by the age of 10, control it as in fully and not just by using spells, then that fairy is deemed to be a shaman; they start training early due to the dangers of losing control of the second element. Shamans with more than two elements are unheard of and most fairies consider them to be a hazard for their own kind, especially if the third element is fire.” Midway through Woojin’s course, Chan’s phone vibrated in his hoodie pocket, making him jolt in his seat and look down, taking it out.

        **_From: Blutige_**

_Chan, a fairy portal broke through my ward when it formed. I need your help to control it before it’s taken over by a gate-hole._

        Chan’s fingers tightened around his phone, eyes widening. It’s rare for portals from the Fairy Realm to open on their own accord in the Human Realm, and for one to open around their area? Even more so. Bringing his other hand down from the desk, he quickly typed in a message before sending it to Woojin.

        **_From: Chan_**

_Woojin, a portal appeared in CSD, we need to go there._

Woojin stopped reading aloud about the different systems of training a shaman from his notebook when his phone vibrated, apologizing to his students before walking over to the desktop where it was. After reading through the text under the worried glances of the students, Woojin sighed heavily, typed in a reply before looking up with an apologetic smile.

**_From: Woojin_ **

_I’ll call the class short, meet me in my office._

        “I’m sorry but something happened and I need to cut the class short. I’ll make sure to add another hour to the next course if you wish just so we go over what we’ll be losing today.” Most students complained that they couldn’t continue the class, worrying about why Woojin had to cut it short, while a handful of them started looking at each other, confused.

        After Woojin left, the students started piling out of the classroom while Chan went off in the opposite direction. Hyunjin and Seungmin noticed that, as well as Felix and Jisung. Changbin lost them in the mass of students, him being short not helping among the tall heads to find them. They all went after Chan, following him in Woojin’s office. Felix made sure to text Changbin to tell him that they had to run off somewhere and they would be getting back with him later. Felix pouted when he received a sad face back.

        “What’s going on?” Hyunjin questioned as soon as the office door got locked. Chan leaned his weight against Woojin’s office, staring up at them.

        “I received a text from Blutige during class in which she told me that a fairy portal appeared right at the edge of the district, breaking through her wards. She needs our help defending it as she protects it from being run over by a gate-hole.”

        “Then we need to get there as fast as possible! A portal can be run over in mere seconds even with the most powerful shamans protecting it. That would mean hundreds of demons coming through! We don’t have the numbers to fight off a threat of that scale.” Seungmin’s voice was loud, an edge of shock to it.

        “We can. We are small in numbers but we’re all unnaturally strong.” Hyunjin muttered, looking back at Chan as if to say _you’re our leader, decide and we follow._

“I…” Chan began, eyes darting around the room. He could feel Woojin approaching him, Jeongin at his side entwining their pinkies and the others looking at Chan with steady gazes. He knew they trusted him, had faith in him that he would take the right decision. “We’re going.”

        On their way, Chan made sure to text Namjoon to meet them at the district to help.

****

         When Minho heard about the commotion in Blutige’s district, he ran there as fast as possible, looking out for her. He was only a few meters away from where she was channeling her magic to control the portal when the black tendrils that were circling it crushed it completely, making Blutige stagger backwards as a black, gaping hole appeared instead of the once teal powdery portal.

        “Blutige! Step away!” Minho shouted as he barreled towards her, pushing her out of the way with his entire body. He turned quickly to look at the black hole from which nothing was coming yet. “Quick, we have to defend the-“

        “Blutige!” Seungmin shouted, rushing over to them. “Minho! You’re here too?! Good, that’s good, damn I missed your sassy face!” Seungmin shouted in one breath, crouching down next to Blutige to help her up while the others surrounded the portal.

        “Jeongin, are you sure you’re fine staying up front-“

        “Chan, for the umpteenth time, stop worrying that something would happen to me! I’ve gotten stronger, I can help.” Chan flicked him on the forehead with a gentle smile despite the tenseness running through his whole body.

        “I know that. I’m not worrying, I’m just making sure you’re comfortable. If you want to fight, who am I to stop you. I am not the elders.” Jeongin’s breath got knocked out of his chest at hearing those words. He’d wanted to hear them ever since he started training with Krey, wanted to hear that Chan was alright with him fighting and did not consider him weak, nor a hindrance for having to be protected all the time. They were on equal foot and that made Jeongin’s heart soar with joy and a rush of adrenaline.

        They all turned their focus back onto the black hole, steeling themselves for anything that was to come through. Blutige was now besides them too along with Minho, staffs out, other hand glowing brightly with magic ready to be unleashed. Hell broke loose when the first wave came and they all scattered around to cover as much ground and have enough space to fight. Chan, Woojin, Namjoon, Hyunjin and Seungmin were up front with Minho, close to the opening of the portal, while Jeongin, Felix, Jisung and Blutige fought in the back, making sure that no demon got away to injure the residents of the district.

        “Send him here!” Felix shouted at Jisung when one of the demons materialized next to him and grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip, sneering in his face. Used to it from so many years of fighting them, Jisung didn’t even bat an eye, ripping the demon off of him, hitting him in the back and sending him towards Felix before turning around to launch on two other demons inching closer towards Blutige. Felix created a whip out of fire and when the demon was within range, he trapped it inside the whip, tightening it around his neck, head cleanly coming off of his shoulders. From ahead, he could see Minho struggling with a demon that was trying to knock him unconscious, Chan and Namjoon going in for the kill, practically ripping the demon away from Minho.

        Felix cracked the whip onto the ground and turned around to trap another demon the same way as earlier. He really missed their weapons and armor. Felix sighed in exasperation when a Doublet demon appeared. Crouching lowly, Felix circled the demon, eyes focused on any illusion that would appear. A hit to his kneecap sent him towards the ground and suddenly he was seeing blue and red in front of him, the colors inverted in a sick and twisted painting. He struggled to get back up, annoyed that he had to face a Doublet _and_ an Illusionist at the same time. Now that his eyes were deceiving him, he closed them and listened in on his surroundings. _Footsteps to my right, too light for a demon. Scratching ahead. Thuds to my left, thuds south-west._ Sharply twisting around, Felix cracked his whip against the ground, the demon snarling in agony as it burned. He then rotated and captured the Doublet as well, mirroring screeches hurting his ears.

        He opened his eyes again and found himself surrounded in a circle of fire, incredulous laugh escaping him: he’d created it without even realizing it. The demons didn’t seem to notice it, for whenever they saw him they started to walk towards him only to burn. A pool of blackness started to form around the circle, orange red bleeding into black.

        Jeongin’s attention was gathered by the amount of demons swarming at the entrance, especially the bigger ones that seemed to go only for Chan and Minho. He wanted to help, but he was stuck with his own demons to even move. His eyes lit up as an idea hit him, body lowering to the ground to swipe at the demon’s feet before crouching over him and ripping its heart out whilst looking up for Jisung and Felix.

        “Jisung! Felix! Come over here!” They instantly looked up, scared that something had happened to Jeongin, sighing in relief when they saw him breathing and fine.

        “What’s wrong?” Jisung asked as soon as he got close enough, back turned to Jeongin so he could watch out for any demon approaching.

        “I want to make a fairy ring but I need you to cover me.”

        “A fairy ring? But that’s for communication-“

        “It’s not only for that. You’ll see.” Jeongin had learned from Krey that fairy rings, circles that would connect them to the Fairy Realm, could be used as weapons too. When creating them with the intent of destruction, the ring would turn into a sucking trap for demons, and since demons are not allowed to pass through such sacred gateways, they would be pulverized even before they managed to pass through.

        “Alright, but be quick.” Jisung exclaimed, nodding at Felix and getting in position, defending Jeongin’s right side while Felix protected the left. From ahead, Chan got a glimpse of what they were doing, eyes widening with curiosity and surprise before he had to focus back on the demons at hand.

        Jeongin took a deep breath and channeled his energy, vines sprouting from the ground and encircling his wrists. He closed his eyes and started to sway gently, humming underneath his breath, ignoring the gruesome sounds of the ongoing battle. Along with his fluid motions, the vines danced around him, forming a circle. He started to sing softly, picking up the pace and walking around the circle with a spring in his movements, and when his glowing emerald eyes opened, a shock wave of energy spiraled away from the fairy ring. He continued to sing, the roots growing stronger, flowers and mushrooms sprouting around them, the interior of the circle bring the the blades of grass back, green vibrating with energy. Jeongin could feel his entire body thrumming with life, the steps that he made on the grass shimmering green when he strode away, calla lily and rose petals catching onto ruffled locks. When the vines finished braiding together with the flowers, they tightened around Jeongin’s wrists, sending him tumbling to the ground where he kneeled and dug his hands in. He could feel his energy be absorbed by the ring, and at the same time, the blasts of magic that travelled through the district. As if hit by lighting, all of the demons stopped moving, glaring in Jeongin’s general direction, before beginning to howl in pain as they tumbled to the ground, claws impending into it so they wouldn’t be whisked away while Jeongin tried his best to unlock himself from the vines that were keeping him trapped.

        “Jeongin, get away from there!” Felix shouted, rushing over to him and crouching to place his arms underneath his hands and pull him away, gritting his teeth and grunting when the other wouldn’t even budge. He was struggling to see clearly, one of his eyes closed as blood trickled down from a deep cut right above his brow, bruised lip bleeding in the corner. He gave one last shout, tugging strongly at Jeongin and ripping him away just as the torrent created by the fairy ring intensified and demon particles started getting sucked in by it. The demons growled in pain and tried to keep their bodies grounded but it was a futile attempt. Soon enough, more than half of the demons were swept away as the fairies watched, Jeongin panting heavily in Felix’s arms, body shaking from so much strain. The fairy ring closed just as a handful of demons remained on the ground, said demons quick in attacking back with newfound vengeance at the foul move on their part. Chan and Namjoon were fast, slashing through demons left and right while Felix struggled to get Jeongin up on his own feet and free his arms so he could protect them both. A particularly strong-looking demon got past Chan and the others, heading at rapid speed towards Jeongin and Felix. Felix struggled to get the other behind his back quickly, knowing that he was the most wanted one of them because of the fairy ring, but he wasn’t fast enough, the demon biting into Jeongin’s forearm…or at least it looked like that, but just as the demon’s teeth grazed his skin, he was pulled back with vicious strength, elongated claws digging and coiling into neck and tendons as Jisung forced the bastard to look at him. Demons don’t usually feel fear. They don’t hear loud bells in their ears whenever something _really_ bad is going to happen. Pure fear would be a very undermining adjective to describe what the demon felt when he met hollowed blackness with rage-filled fiery orbs. Jisung was _fuming,_ his neck and arms covered in black veins. His eyes were filled with pure rage, the dark sclera around the iris deepening the emotions.

        “ **You don’t fucking mess with my family.”** Felix’s head snapped up from where he was hiding Jeongin’s face in his chest, terrified eyes meeting Minho’s from where the other was frozen a few feet away from Jisung. Jisung’s voice was dual and deep…so deep that it was the same as the demon’s. With a low growl that rumbled in his chest, Jisung tightened his hands around the demon’s neck, crushing his windpipe and literally destroying his skin and bones. With a sick thud, the demon fell onto the ground, dissolving quickly into black heaps. Minho stared at Jisung, the other’s eyes hidden by his red locks. He was breathing normally, chest rising and falling steadily, hands shaking slightly next to his body, droplets of blood trickling down his fingers. When Jisung started to laugh with a maniacal edge, Minho felt his legs completely give out, knees hitting the ground so strongly he heard them crash, lost eyes peering into Jisung’s unfocused, darkened ones.

        “Jisung…” When he heard Minho’s whisper, Jisung’s eyes flitted over to him, the same glazed-over look still present along with the unnatural smile. The black veins were still present as well, Minho’s heart sinking even more at that. Jisung was slowly being consumed by his dark descent while he sat idly, not capable of snapping out of the shock of seeing his mate like that. Reaching towards him, Jisung walked forwards and as he was about to grab him by the neck, Minho saw something change in his eyes, making him stagger, hands tightening into fists as if he was struggling.

        When Woojin reached Jeongin and grabbed him in his arms, Felix was fast in going over in-between Jisung and Minho, standing in front of the collapsed shaman and staring into Jisung’s still darkened eyes.

        “Snap out of it!” Felix shouted, red eyes blazing with fire, hands grasping tightly at the other’s cheeks. Jisung stared into his eyes for an agonizingly long time, the necklace against his chest burning him, before the blackness of his sclera started to recede into white, his irises reclaiming back emotion. Felix caught Jisung when he staggered on his feet, looking around him rapidly, catching Minho’s eyes from where he was still kneeling, looking down at his own hands dripping black and littered with black veins. He looked up at Felix and when he saw the worry and distress in the other’s eyes he realized what had happened…he’d lost control again. Tearing up, Jisung tried to step away from Felix despite the other’s protests, even going as far as to wrench his arms away, something Jisung never did. He’d lost control again, he almost turned into what he hated the most. He could still feel the thoughts of death and destruction lingering in his mind, he couldn’t get rid of them, _he wanted to get rid of them._ There had to be something… _something_ that could help him…Jisung’s heart rate picked up again when he remembered what laid in his room atop his desk. _‘_ _Use this when things get too hard for you’_ …

**_The feather_.**

        He took one last glance at them, before turning around and running, ignoring their shouts. Unbeknownst to Jisung, Felix and Hyunjin started to run after him at the same time, determined to stop the boy from doing anything rash.

        Back in the district, Minho was still unmoving, hands hanging limply at his side, mind _racing_ with everything that he did wrong. He should’ve been there for the other, he should’ve been capable enough to snap Jisung out of that phase, he should’ve-

        “Hey.” It was soft, too soft for Minho to not tear up. He looked up through glassy eyes at Chan, lip quivering a bit as he remembered the way Jisung physically restrained himself from doing anything to him even after he _left_. Just because it was to protect him didn’t change how much it’d hurt him. “Come on, let’s get you up.” Chan grabbed Minho around the waist and helped him up, holding him in his arms when Minho buried his face in his shoulder, seeking comfort. Chan brushed his fingers through his locks, murmuring reassuring things in his ears until Namjoon walked over to them, saying that the second wave could come anytime now and that they needed to somehow close the portal, throwing a worried glance at Minho.

        Minho nodded and rubbed his eyes clean of tears before looking over to the portal with determination. “I know how to stop the gate-hole, although I need a bit of help. Chan?” Minho’s struggled to keep his voice steady, and the more he focused on the portal and on what he had to do, the easier it was.

        “Sure.” They ran over to the portal, Minho crouching down to place his palms into one of the black puddles on the ground. Chan scrunched his nose and did the same thing before repeating what Minho was doing. Minho settled his palms on the left side of the portal whilst Chan went on the right, chanting underneath his breath. Chan struggled to follow through the words clearly, although it worked in the end, the gate-hole closing with a whirlwind of sounds. Minho staggered, out of breath, Jeongin and Namjoon, who were closest to him, catching him in their arms.

        “Blutige, we need to seal the wards!” Chan shouted at the shaman, snapping her out of the shocked state in which she was trapped. She nodded her head rapidly and ran over to him, explaining how the wards were settled over so he could help her with the magic.

****

        When Hyunjin and Felix entered their apartment, they found Jisung shivering in the middle of their living room, couch pushed all the way back against the window, the fire fairy kneeling on the ground in front of a feather. They had no idea how to react to that, Hyunjin staring intently at the feather, remembering how Jisung had been trying to decipher what to do with it for a long time.

        As the feather started to glow a bright yellow, they snapped out of it and ran over to Jisung, intending on getting him away from the feather and calm him down. They didn’t get too close before a bright light erupted in the room, blinding them for a matter of seconds. When they could see again, they found a medium sized Gryphon sleeping on the ground in place of the feather, black golden hued ones rustling against his wings and back as he started to wake up. Jisung was still in a sort of trance, though no longer possessed by the dark blood. Felix crouched down, ready to shake Jisung and maybe dare to approach the waking Gryphon, when three knocks sounded against their front door. Hyunjin’s head snapped up before looking at Felix with horror. _What if it was a human?!_ Before they could decide on what to do, the door opened and in stepped Jihoon, holding a set of flyers in his hands.

        “Felix? I was just talking with Jihyo about some flyers that have-… … …WHY IS THERE A MASIVE BIRD IN YOUR LIVING ROOM?!” The Gryphon whined at being called a bird, eyes glaring over at Jihoon, making him start shaking even more. Felix cursed underneath his breath and got up from beside Jisung, walking over to Jihoon with his palms raised in an attempt to calm Jihoon and make him understand that he was safe.

        “Jihoon, keep calm, everything’s alright.”

        “NOTHING’S ALRIGHT, YOUR EYES ARE RED AND--- IS THAT BLOOD ON YOUR FACE?!” Jihoon was one step away from passing out from hyperventilation. Nope, he was zero steps away. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as his legs gave out, Felix catching him with a shout of surprise before quickly turning to look at Hyunjin with a look that said _what the fuck do I do now?!_ Hyunjin ran over to the two, dragging his hand above Jihoon head in repetitive motions, trying to use the spells Minho had taught him to remove memories from human minds. He found the memories up to when Jihoon started to head for their apartment, erasing them almost completely before altering what was left into making Jihoon think that he was too tired to walk over to them and so he went to sleep.

        As Hyunjin and Felix were busy with Jihoon’s memories, Jisung got up from the floor and stared at the Gryphon, fingers curling into fists to stop the shaking. Right in front of his eyes, the Gryphon started to shed feathers, a human figure appearing among the colorful mass. The man walked towards Jisung, and only when he was close enough, Jisung recognized him as the man that had given him the feather.

      “What happened, child? Why have you summoned me?” Through barely contained tears and raspy tones, Jisung explained everything, crying even harder when he go to the part where he almost attacked Minho before he realized who he was. The man shushed Jisung’s cries, hands engulfing him in a comforting hug, his words of ease drowning out Jisung’s sobs, hand patting his head and down his upper back until Jisung fell asleep, body now weightless.

        “What the hell did you do to him?!” Hyunjin shouted from across the room, marching over to the man that was slowly inching backwards with Jisung in his arms.

        “Hey there, calm down, I didn’t do anything to him.  He needed to relax so I placed a sleeping spell over him, he’ll be fine. Where’s your leader? Where’s Namjoon?”

        “Are you Taehyung?” Felix asked from behind Hyunjin, Jihoon now resting with his back into the corner of the hall.

        “How do you know me? Wait, come into the light.” Felix did as told, watching as Taehyung’s eyes widened with recognition. “Ah, I see… yes, I am Taehyung. Is Namjoon still in the district?”

        “Yes. I guess he will come back along with the others.” Hyunjin just stared at the two talking Fae, lost among many things unknown by him.

****

        By nightfall, everyone was huddled up in the Fae apartment, Chan, Woojin, Taehyung and Namjoon gathered into a serious talk in the office room while the others were staying with Jisung, whom was still asleep.  Minho had remained as well, more than half because he wanted to make sure Jisung was safe and alright, and a small percentage because Chan had a death grip on his arm as if he was going to lose him if he let go.

        Felix had been running in between apartments for almost the entire evening, going by to see Changbin and reassure him that they only had to meet someone urgently and they had to leave, and then going back to their apartment to talk with Minho and see Jisung. He was also doing a very bad job at keeping his emotions under control with all that had happened that day, so when he did finally snap, he walked outside into the cold where he was sure his emotions would freeze and he could have a bit of quietude in his mind.

        He leaned against one of the stone columns that were supporting the high ceiling of the veranda, eyes closed, his body absorbing the coldness on purpose this time. He could feel himself calming down, the burning emotions cooling until he was left feeling numb, mind only focusing on the fact that he was outside with the smallest of nature that was left alive.

        “How do you feel?” The voice sounded familiar, close to Namjoon’s, but it wasn’t Namjoon. Felix opened his eyes to see Taehyung walking closer to him, purple and black robes moving along with his footsteps. The robes seemed to be even more intricate up close, jewels imbedded at the edges, glinting into the moonlight, a white dress shirt tucked neatly into black pants with a black vest underneath the robes, a choker made out of braided strands of black with tiny black crystals adorning them. Felix knew that such intricate clothing was worn most of the time by shamans or by warlocks, so he couldn’t really understand why Taehyung dressed like that.

        “I feel better now that I am outside. What are you doing out? Did the meeting end?”

        “I wouldn’t call it a meeting, it was only us discussing about what happened and what would happen.”

        “So a meeting.” Taehyung squinted his eyes at Felix, staring at him before laughing, fingers ruffling his raven locks.

        “You’re funny, I like you.”

        “Well thanks.” It was a bit unnerving for Felix to talk with Taehyung, primarily because the other’s eyes seemed to hold so much knowledge about him and his family that it terrified him.

        “Stay strong Felix. That’s all I can say. Things will get better.” Taehyung encouraged Felix after a few minutes of silence, squeezing his shoulder before turning around to leave.

        On his way back, Taehyung bumped into someone, apologizing curtly before stopping to take a better look. It was Changbin, the hybrid that he saw in his vision calling out for Felix. He was staring at Taehyung with wide eyes, as if he’d appeared out of thin air. Taehyung couldn’t sense it before from the vision, but by being this close to Changbin, he could see that it was clearly there, in his aura…the mark of the late second in command demon general. It was very well hidden, but there nonetheless.

        “I-I’m sorry for bumping into you.” Changbin stuttered, stepping away from Taehyung as if to put more distance between them. Taehyung smiled calmly at him, extending a hand for him to shake.

        “No worries. I’m Taehyung, a friend of Chan’s. I suppose you are Changbin?” Changbin shook hands with him, questioning him with his eyes about how he knew who he was. Covering up his mistake quickly, Taehyung grinned. “Well, how can I not know perfectly how you look after listening to Felix all day.” At that, Changbin’s cheeks flared up, grasping for anything to say. Taehyung laughed quietly. Mates were always so fun to tease. He allowed Changbin to go on his own way, most probably to see Felix outside, while he headed back to the apartment. Before Jisung would wake up, he had something else to do. He had to find Minho and cure him.

        Minho was in the living room with Chan and Hyunjin, talking quietly, looking slightly out of place. It was most certainly because he was still worried about his discovered location. Taehyung approached them quietly, nodding at Chan when the other noticed him.

        “Minho?” Minho looked up at Taehyung, eyes guarded, not really trusting him. Taehyung could understand. Such thinking made Fae survive in the Human Realm. “I can help you.” _Silence._

        “Help me? How?”

        “Did Blutige say anything to you about her experience in Japan?”

        “It was you?” Minho questioned, getting up from the couch. His eyes were wide, maybe even a little hopeful, as he looked up at Taehyung. Taehyung nodded, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder.

        “I can remove the black blood in your system the same way I did with her. Although it could be difficult and maybe even painful.” Minho hung his head low, staring at the ground, flexing his fingers.

        “Minho, think this through, what if something happens-“

        “I accept. Please, help me.” Taehyung nodded, turning to look at Chan. Hyunjin sighed and looked anywhere but at them, gnawing on his lower lip. _Where was Seungmin?_

        “Is there any room that I can use for the ritual?”

        “Depending on how messy it will get.”

        “Not that much.”

        “Then you can use the living room. Anything you need for the ritual?”

        “Just sage oil and white calla lily petals.” Chan nodded and went out with Hyunjin on tow, knowing that they had everything they needed back at their house. In the meantime, Taehyung and Minho pushed away everything in the living room that would occupy space, Minho asking questions about how the ritual would go and about how he would feel afterwards. Taehyung answered each question gently, remembering how it all went with Blutige and how vulnerable the shaman felt after the black blood was taken away.

        In the room a few feet away, Jisung was thrashing in his sleep, despite Seungmin and Jeongin talking to him in hushed voices in an attempt to calm him down. Jeongin wanted the other to wake up so he could tell him that it wasn’t his fault, that they’re not upset with him and that everything would be alright, but Taehyung’s spell was a strong one. The Flügelyr fairy had told them earlier that it wasn’t just a sleeping spell that he placed over Jisung, but also a locking one that would keep the dark blood under control so he wouldn’t be consumed again. The door to his room opened, the boys not even looking up.

        “How is he?” They looked up this time when they heard Blutige’s voice. She was dressed normally, shaman attire gone, leaving space for white bandages to adorn her forearms and neck. She looked worn out, muscles still tense after the fight.

        “He’s still under the spell. Taehyung said that he’s going to wake up in the morning, maybe even later in the night. I thought you were at the district…”

        “I was, but Chan messaged me, saying that they’re going to need someone to look after Jisung.”

        “Why? Aren’t we here?”

        “You will need to go into the living room in a few minutes when Chan gets back. I…met the fairy who rid me of the black blood in Japan, and he’s in the living room right now, preparing to do the same for Minho.”

        “Taehyung is the one that helped you?”

        “Yes, and he’ll need everyone in the living room for the ritual. Something about all the positive energy inside to throw away the negative one.”

        Seungmin looked back at Jisung, covering him with the blanket more so he would stop shivering as much, Jeongin leaning over him to press a kiss on his forehead and hug him tightly, barely keeping from crying again. He hated being the reason why Jisung shifted like that. As they got out of the room, Blutige settled down on the side of the bed, brushing the loose strands of hair away from his eyes.

        “Oh Jisungie…” Blutige sighed, dropping her hand away, closing her eyes to pray for him to get better.  She could hear the others talking outside, Seungmin’s voice strained with worry as he tried to convince Minho to think everything through, because what if something happened to him. Seungmin could say nothing more when the other said that it was better like this rather than to run away all the time. Felix had been the last to arrive inside, after he and Changbin went to sleep only for him to sneak away.

****

        When they were all inside the room, the candles lit and the circle of stones formed in the middle, Taehyung guided Minho to sit inside, the others sitting in a circle around the room, while Taehyung kneeled in front of Minho, inside the circle. He took the sage oil from the ground and rubbed his palms together, before rubbing the oil all over Minho’s arms, torso and neck, drawing a rune with it in the middle of his forehead. He sat down as well and brought his palms together, channeling his energy around the stone circle until the stones started to shake against the wooden floor. Pale teal light burst from the stones, encircling the two in a cage of sorts. The candles were extinguished by the burst of light, Namjoon quickly lighting them up again under Taehyung’s request. Taehyung couldn’t help but sigh shakily; this would be a lot more difficult than with Blutige, because whilst her light was a dark red, Minho’s was so bright…

        “Minho, focus solely on what I’m saying. Here, grab my hands.” They held hands as Taehyung started to chant, uniting their foreheads, the light that burned from the stones corrupting into blackness. When his skin started to burn from the oil, Minho gritted his teeth and continued to focus on the words that spilled from Taehyung’s mouth. He’s had worse.

        From the sideline, Jeongin stared intently as Taehyung brought the white calla lily petals forwards, coating the stems in sage oil. Minho was sweating profusely, though they couldn’t really tell because of the oil. His azure eyes were the only thing bright enough in the darkness in which the room succumbed when the candles and the light collapsed altogether. From opposite ends, both Felix and Namjoon brought their forearms up, fire engulfing them and providing light.

        When Taehyung placed the first calla lily against Minho’s lower lip, he expected the other to start thrashing violently the way Blutige had, but Minho remained frozen, fingers balled into fists and shaking. The petal slowly started to taint as it absorbed the black blood inside of Minho’s body, the calla lily turning black after only a few minutes. Taehyung quickly replaced it with another one, dropping the tainted calla lily on a white cloth.

        He continued to repeat the process until the calla lilies turned red instead of black, notifying Taehyung that all of the demonic poison in Minho’s body was gone. By the time Taehyung removed the last calla lily and dropped it atop the others, Minho felt boneless and tired, his breaths shallow and eyelids drooping low. Almost as soon as Taehyung finished wiping the sage oil from his upper body and from his forehead, Minho fell asleep, body titling forwards until he fell in Taehyung’s arms, Seungmin rushing forwards worriedly, thinking that something had happened.

        “He’s alright, the ritual took a lot out of him.” Taehyung wrapped it all up by placing a protective charm on Minho that would last for almost a day until he recovered, before he pushed the rocks away methodically. He pulled Minho up, Seungmin and Chan helping as well so they could take him to Hyunjin’s room upon Taehyung’s request, saying that that room was the closest to Jisung’s.

        “How is he going to feel when he wakes up?” Felix inquired, watching as Hyunjin and Seungmin dragged the blankets over his body, Jeongin even crawling over to him to hug him and keep him warm when he started to shiver. Taehyung sighed, twisting his hands together.

        “Seeing as he surprised me a lot during the ritual, I actually don’t know. Blutige was a lot more aggressive during the ritual and her light wasn’t as bright as his. She also felt very weakened afterwards and had to train her powers again to gather some strength back, which is why I don’t know how Minho will react. We just have to wait for him to wake up and see.”

****

        In the middle of the night, Jisung woke up, clothes drenched in sweat, his room cold and dark. He gathered his knees to his chest, breathing in deeply in order to calm down after the awful nightmare. He’d seen it, what would’ve happened had he not recognized Minho in time. He’d seen how cruel and vicious he would’ve been. And he hated it. He wanted to forget the images, burn them out of his mind.

        He buried his face in his arms, rocking himself in an attempt to focus on anything else, digging his forehead in his kneecaps. He could feel so many energies around the house, could feel Minho so cleanly and clearly… _he could feel Minho._ _Did that mean he was in the house? Was he nearby? **Why** was he there if he was so adamant about **not** being there?_

        Throwing his covers away, Jisung got out of bed, intending on finding the other, but a figure looming down the hall stopped him, picking at his curiosity. He headed for the kitchen instead.

        Taehyung was a very light sleeper, so when he heard Jisung breathing heavily from across the living room, he knew the other had woken up. Brewing tea for the both of them, he settled at the table and waited for the other to come inside.

        “I didn’t dream that? You’re still here?”

        “Who do you think placed that sleeping spell on you?”  Slowly, Jisung sat down in one of the chairs, looking at Taehyung’s outstretched hand holding a cup of tea towards him. He took it gratefully, offering a barely there smile.

        “Are you…going to help me?”

        “You have to tell me with what, Jisung.”

        “I want to get rid of the black blood within me.”

        “I can help, but it’s not the same deal as with Minho, isn’t it? He wasn’t born with it, unlike you.”

        “Does that make any difference?” Jisung brought a leg up on the chair so he could settle his chin on his knee, arms hugging it closely as he listened.

        “It makes for a massive difference. Minho’s ritual went easy, because he was contaminated with the black blood, while you grew up with it, it became a part of you. To rid you of it, you would have to come over to my manor where you will follow a five-day ritual until I could finally cleanse you, and it will be very dangerous.”

        “Minho’s ritual? Is that why I can sense him so much better? Is it because he no longer has dark blood in his system?”

        “Yes. I managed to rid him of it completely.” Jisung’s eyes lit up despite still feeling tired and guilty, a small smile twisting his lips upwards.

        “So he’s finally free now? Free of the demons looking for him?”

        “As free as any untainted Fae.” Taehyung could see the way Jisung relaxed even more, as if the very prospect of Minho being free consumed all of his worries away.  Jisung felt a lot better after that, drinking his tea in silence as Taehyung played with his own fingers upon the table, waiting for Jisung to finish.

        Jisung’s stomach did a funny twist when he heard one of the bedroom doors open, even more so when he saw Minho’s face. He was still sleepy, stumbling a little on his feet, stopping in the doorway when he saw Taehyung and Jisung chatting together. What scared Jisung was the way Minho instantly paled, fingers grasping tightly at the doorframe, eyes lost as if he was seeing something. Taehyung, who’d been analyzing Minho ever since he appeared, sighed and opened his mouth to speak, when Jisung got up.

        “Minho-“

        “Jisung, please don’t go with him.” Minho’s voice was barely above a whisper, eyes pleading with Jisung. Jisung walked closer to Minho, tilting his head and frowning.

        “Minho, why shouldn’t I-“

        “Please just listen to me. Please Jisung. It’s dangerous, so much more dangerous than what he did to me.” When it looked as if Jisung would question him again, Minho continued. “Do you remember how I followed you into the kitchen after that movie night, scared senseless because I had a nightmare about you? I saw this very scene. Jisung, if you go with Taehyung, you’ll die.” Deadly silence fell over the kitchen, Taehyung staring at the ground as Minho grabbed onto Jisung’s shoulders tightly, pleading with him not to go, to stay with him. Jisung remained silent, staring blankly at a spot on Minho’s neck, a small cut that was barely there. He couldn’t go through what had happened today again. He couldn’t lose control like that again. He just couldn’t.

        With teary eyes, Jisung looked up at Minho, hands splaying across his chest, lips pulling into a trembling smile. _“I have to do this, Minho. I’m sorry.”_ Jisung kissed the other, a feathery touch on Minho’s lips, before he stepped back and grabbed at Taehyung’s robes, teleporting them away just as he heard his name being screamed by Minho.

        Felix, who’d been around the corner with his back glued to the wall as he listened in, stepped outside into the kitchen after he got over the shock of Jisung leaving, heart lurching painfully in his chest at the sight of Minho crying. He could no longer feel Jisung in close vicinity, probably already at Taehyung’s manor, wherever that was. He wanted to go after the other, shout at him for leaving with Taehyung when the danger of dying was looming over his head, but he couldn’t. He knew just how guilty Jisung felt about his dark descent. He knew he wouldn’t listen to their reasoning.

        When he sensed Felix, Minho turned around and looked up at the phoenix fairy before crashing in his arms, crying his heart out. Through jumbled words, Felix heard _why did he go_ and _why didn’t he listen,_ each letter imbedding in his heart. Felix held Minho closely, warm hands rubbing soothingly on his back, trying to comfort him and himself at the same time.

        “Jisung will be alright. He _has_ to be.”


	39. Azurblau's Unraveling Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the ship freeeeeeeeeee~~~  
> Love ya ma beautiful readers <3 <3  
> I hope you enjoy this chap as much as i did, and that minsung is finally happy ^^

        In the morning, Chan was one step away from going out to search for Jisung, no matter if he left on his own or not. He had to find him, to make sure that he was safe. In fact, all of them wanted to, but Minho stopped them. As they’d respected his wish when he left to protect them, they would do so as well now, and respect Jisung’s wish, no matter how dangerous it was. If Felix had the faith that the other will be alright, then Minho would trust him. Namjoon had also reassured them that he would stay in touch with Taehyung and ask him how the ritual is going, so they’ll know if anything wasn’t right.

        With Chan beyond upset and Jeongin and Hyunjin worried about Jisung, the house was quiet, a normally lively Saturday now sullen and lonely. Minho -after talking with everyone in the living room and remaining with Felix until the other fell asleep after staying awake for so long- went to the kitchen where he fiddled around with the teabags until giving up, too tired and weak after the ritual to move for too long. Despite no longer having black blood in his system, he still felt just as strong as before, Blutige’s descriptions about how she felt afterwards not adding up with his. He felt weakened, that was true, and he also felt as though he could sleep for the entirety of the week, but that was it; he still felt as powerful as before.

        His trail of thoughts got cut off by someone entering the kitchen. Seungmin took one glance at the teabags that were on the counter before shaking his head and grabbing at them, going about to prepare tea. Minho watched in the suffocating silence, knowing that the other was most probably still upset about him teleporting away. He wanted to reach out to Seungmin and say something, but he had no idea _what_ to say. Despite the centuries of knowing each other, he still had no idea how to break the awkward silence, because it’d never happened before.

        “Here, drink this. It’ll help.” Without realizing it, he’d spent so much time thinking about what to say that Seungmin was done with the tea, grabbing his own cup to leave the kitchen.

        “Wait.” Acting on its own, his hand reached out and grabbed at Seungmin’s shirt, stopping him in his tracks. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done, Seungmin.” After gathering enough courage, Minho spoke, looking at the ground in fear of seeing the other’s disappointed look. He’d just done what he’d thought was best.

        He felt the shirt loosen in his grasp as Seungmin turned around to look at him, fingers grasping at his own. He still didn’t look up.

        “I was really angry at you. And upset. Because you left without me. I could understand that you felt the need to go away after what’d happened with that family, it wasn’t what made me upset. Did you really think that I would leave you on your own just because I found my mate? I would’ve gone to the end of the world to look for you, and so would’ve Hyunjin and the others, because we are to be a group, a clan. Do you understand that, Minho?” That was true. Chan, Felix and Hyunjin had claimed mates, and only Jisung and Jeongin were to do the same, before they became a clan. They all cared about him just as much as he cared about them. He’d hurt them so much by leaving...

        Minho nodded, not finding his voice to speak. Seungmin sighed and walked forward, dragging the other up so he could bring him in a bone crushing hug. Minho draped his arms around him, desperate to show just how much he’d missed him and how sorry he was for upsetting him.

        “Aish, you’re really stupid at times. I wonder why you’re older.” Minho chuckled, digging his cold nose into Seungmin’s neck, making the other screech and push his face and neck away from Minho. They laughed, knowing that the face Seungmin just made was one of the funniest that he had in store.

        “I missed you.”

        “I missed you too.”

        “Promise not to be stupid anymore?”

        “…I can try?” Seungmin squeezed Minho’s sides, making the other bend and laugh, trying to escape the wiggly hands but Seungmin was stronger than Minho at the moment and he deserved to be punished _so let the tickling begin!_

        Minho really was weaker than the other, because soon enough, he was struggling to stand, holding onto Seungmin while crying with laughter, cheek muscles hurting from it.

        “Blutige told us a bit about how she felt after the ritual, but how do you feel?” Seungmin questioned after they sat down at the table, teacups half empty and still steaming. He’d brought two thin blankets from the living room so they could cover up against the cold, Minho sitting with his knees up and holding them against his chest.

       “I think I’m just as strong? But I feel weakened right now. It’s almost as if some big part of me is gone but it’s not a part that I would be really worried about? Like, it’s not affecting my Fae abilities.”

        “Maybe it’s because you grew stronger while in the Dark Realm so it doesn’t make really that much of a difference?”

        “I don’t know. I’m just…happy that I got rid of it and that now I don’t have to worry about demons finding me.”

****

        Surprisingly, when they reached his manor, it was light outside. Taehyung had explained how the wards around his manor were enchanted to change the view from beyond to whatever he wanted: rain, sun, snow, full moon, even nothing. He’d chosen a light morning with the sun barely peeking out, when the car lights are still on and the stars are still out, in an attempt to make Jisung feel less scared; it was, after all, an unknown place to him.

        Only after they stepped past the big gates Jisung saw the creatures moving through the white forest to the right of the mansion. The forest was tall and dense, filled with trees bearing white and thin barks. Between them, Jisung could see slender women dressed in what appeared to be silken red robes, their eyes covered with a cloth of the same material. They seemed to be dancing among the trees, humming in low pitch and playing around.

        “Those are oracles.” Jisung jumped when he found Taehyung right next to him, bowed slightly to reach his ear. When they heard him talk, the oracles hissed and hid behind the tree barks, Jisung’ eyes widening because the trees were way too thin for them to be able to hide completely like that.

        “Aren’t oracles really hard to find? I thought that they can’t leave the Dark Realm.”

        “They can’t, but as you can see, I made an environment good for them. Because I needed them for something, I had to go and look for them in the Dark Realm. It was a really difficult task, but as you can see, they’re here, I’m here, and I’m alive.”

        “How do you control them?”

        “See this?” Taehyung pointed towards the black choker that rested against his tanned skin. “This is a charm made by my clan that helps me control them. It’s infused with their blood, so it gives me even more control over them.”

        They continued to walk towards the house, passing through the massive courtyard and around the small fountain that looked eerily similar to the one in the Crimson Sea District. The front door looked heavy and big, the wood painted black and with an intricate design. If he focused enough, he could make out a few words hidden between patterns, words written in the ancient language.

        “Welcome to my humble abode.” Taehyung sing-sang as he opened the door, urging Jisung to go inside.

        “Humble abode my pretty bum.” Taehyung laughed at Jisung’s awestruck face: his eyes were wide, taking everything in, mouth open in shock and eyebrows so high up, they were no longer visible underneath his brown locks.

        When the house tour was done, they retreated back to the kitchen where Taehyung offered to bake something for them to eat while they talked about the ritual. The mansion was so huge Jisung was sure he would get lost at some point in it. Taehyung had one of the biggest libraries he’d ever seen, a music room, a ball room, a dance room, a room made specifically for sleepovers and movie nights, and so many more. It seemed a bit surreal that he lived alone in such a big space.

        “Doesn’t a house as big as this make you feel lonely? Or at least a bit creeped out?”

        “I got used to it over the years. Plus, I don’t necessarily live alone, because Namjoon lives with me, and my clan visits from time to time. I also hold balls every century or so, but that’s not all too often. It’s just my way of meeting more Fae to see if anyone needs help or anything like that.”

        “You give me a bit of a Victorian vibe. Did you live in England during the Victorian era?”

        “Such good eyes for art… Yes, I’ve lived there for as long as I could. Actually, there isn’t a country that I haven’t visited. Being immortal has its perks.”

        “I don’t even know if I want to learn your age.”

        “It’s better this way. People usually flip their shit when they find out.”

        “Hah.” If Taehyung told him that he was even older than the elders then he would hightail it out of there asap. Taehyung’s food was actually delicious and it was enough for Jisung to relax in the new environment.

        “So, how are we going to do this?”

        “Well, since we need to…loosen, let’s say, the bond between the black blood in you and your core, you’ll need to stay for a few hours every day for the next four days inside the white forest.”

        “With those oracles?!”

        “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you. You’ll just have to stay in a designated circle in the middle of the forest, wear white clothes and meditate. Then, you would have to bathe in specific baths that I will draw for you. That’s the easy part. The hard part would be the elimination on the 5th day.”

      “And then I would no longer have black blood within me? I would be safe from turning into a dark fairy?”

        “That’s our intention. If the ritual goes well, then you’ll be a normal fairy in no time.” Jisung nodded, the two relapsing into a sort of comfortable silence. The sky outside was still just as bright, so Jisung couldn’t tell the time. He would have to wear a watch while in there.

        “My family always avoided the subject whenever I asked, but do you know how my bloodline got to be of dark descent?” Taehyung leaned in his chair, considering Jisung’s question and how he would answer. He was wearing normal clothes now, loose track pants and a t-shirt.

        “A few generations ago, the Han bloodline was pure. There were no fairies of dark descent, until one of your great- great- great- great uncles decided that it was a good idea to experiment. He was curious about what would happen to a normal bloodline if he tainted it. In a way, he wanted to make it stronger, to prove that the black blood wasn’t as bad as everyone claimed it to be. He was insane. The elders got to him too late and the damage was already done. The Han bloodline became tainted, and so did other bloodlines in which the Hans mated. Although, your great- great- great- great uncle wasn’t the only one to attempt that, so the other tainted bloodlines were primarily at fault for their own tainted generations.”

        “So you mean to say that…all of this happened because one of my bloodline became curious and decided to experiment on his own fucking family?”

        “Yeah.” Jisung didn’t even know whether to be angry or not at something that already happened a long time ago. He felt lost as to how to react. “But we’re going to put an end to that now, so there’s no need for you to keep thinking about that. Plus, you might never know what good _having_ black blood in the Han bloodline did.”

        “I…guess you’re right. Anyways, when are we starting with the ritual.”

        “We can start even now if you want. But, we must get you in the clothes first. Come on, let me show you to your room.”

        After he was done changing in the white robes, Jisung followed Taehyung through the creepy white forest, feeling as if he was being watched all the time. In the middle of the forest, a big circle marked with stones caught Jisung’s eye. It was pretty big, big enough to fit at least twenty people.

        “You’ll stay here for the next five hours. You must not step out of the circle, you must not listen to their voices, and you must not look into their eyes.”

        “But aren’t their eyes covered?”

        “They won’t be after I leave.” Jisung felt a shiver go down his spine at Taehyung’s words, hands going around himself in a hug. He stepped inside the circle and sat down in the middle with his legs crossed, noticing how the air inside felt warmer than outside. “Good luck, Jisung. I hope you pull through successfully.” Taehyung patted his cheek and stepped out of the circle, forging a rune in the tree that sat right at the edge of the circle before leaving completely. It should be simple, right? Jisung just had to not look up, ignore their words and focus on his own self. He’d wished it was that simple.

        Almost as soon as Jisung lowered his eyes to the ground, gaze fixated on the edge of the circle, the first oracle appeared. Now that he was closer, he could see how their skin appeared to be made out of dried leather and as white as a sheet of paper. The red dress reached up to their calves, although it was split on the side. The oracle was barefoot, and when it started to move a bit closer to the circle, Jisung noticed how the movement seemed to be a bit jerky, so much more violent and uncontrolled than the dance he’d seen earlier. More and more oracles approached, and after only five minutes, he could see the line of the circle, marked with red by their dresses. He kept his eyes on the edge of the circle, thinking that the oracles would not crouch down only to look at him. He was proven wrong when one oracle stopped the jerky motion of its feet; Jisung waited for something to happen, instantly scrunching his eyes shut when he saw hands come closer towards knees, a neck appearing, and then Jisung could see no more because he was smart enough to actually close his eyes and look down at his own legs. The oracle hadn’t even moved its legs: it simply started to bend down as if it was made out of rubber, torso and neck twisting at odd angles only to reach down somehow to look Jisung in the eye.

        When the oracles realized that they were getting nowhere with their attempts, they started to talk. Only then did he realize why Taehyung had told him not to listen to their voices. All of the oracles started to speak at once, some using Felix’s voice, some Minho’s, some Hyunjin’s or Jeongin’s. They were using the voices of his family and friends, saying awful things to him, but he promptly ignored them, swiping through memories of him that he loved and thinking about Minho and his family; he knew they were only taunting him. By the time Taehyung came back to retrieve Jisung, the oracles were screeching violently, some crying, some moaning in pain, scaring Taehyung. He’d never seen them act like that.

        “I’m quite tempted to ask whether you made them act like that.” Taehyung thought out loud as he dropped the last of the herbs in the purple colored water.

        “Weren’t they supposed to act like that?”

        “Speaking while using others voices and laughing? Yes. Crying and screeching and moaning in pain? No.”

        “I just ignored them completely. I think I even fell asleep while meditating though I’m not certain.”

        “You are out of this planet.” Taehyung said with awe, ruffling Jisung’s hair. “Although, this is only the beginning. By the fourth day you will be very tired, which will also weaken your ability to fight their taunting. Seeing how well you did today gives me more reassurance that you’ll be fine but I don’t want to think happily ahead in case something will still happen. Now, strip and get in the bath. I’ll be in the living room if anything happens.” Taehyung smiled one last time at Jisung before waving at him and leaving the bathroom.

        Jisung peeled all of his clothes away from his body before settling in the bathtub. The water was close to boiling, but it didn’t bother him at all. It felt soothing to his skin and warm. He could feel whatever was in the water act on his energy, and for the first time after being there and sitting in the circle, he felt something change in his body, a wave of nausea hitting him out of nowhere.

****

        Taehyung was right. By the fourth day, Jisung felt exhausted, the five hours getting harder and harder to push through, the oracles speaking more vile words than before. It got to the point that Jisung would wake up screaming because he could still hear Minho crying out in agony through the mouth of the oracles.

        He started to feel lighter, a bit better during the second day, but by the third day he started to get urges to kill, to destroy the nature, urges that he would soon push away, thinking that he would never do such vile things.

        At one point during the fourth day, it started to rain outside and by the time Taehyung realized it and changed the settings of the ward, Jisung was drenched in water and shivering. Taehyung was quick in going to him with a blanket so he could wrap him up in it when the time was up. They were about to enter the manor when a man walked through the gates. The air around him was all negative and Jisung could feel that now more than ever. He had a sadistic grin on his face, eyes hollow and cold.

Jungkook and Jimin, who’d come to visit Taehyung more than once and had gotten to know Jisung as well, were not present, which meant that Taehyung was the only one capable to fight. The warlock walked until he reached Taehyung, smiling at him weirdly.

        “How have you been, V? Is the business going well?” The warlock questioned, leaning in closer, too close for comfort, eyebrow raised. The man had always been hell bent on stealing black blood from Taehyung, especially after he realized that he was taken. He’d always try outside of his home, but he never came to his manor. Jisung tried to inch away from the two, when the warlock’s eyes flitted over to him, nostrils flaring and eyes widening. “And what have you gotten here? A fairy of dark descent?” When the warlock tried to inch closer towards Jisung, Taehyung stepped between them and roughly hit him in the chest with his palm, pushing him backwards.

        “You have business with me, so eyes on me.” The warlock sneered at Taehyung, ready to attack, when Jungkook appeared out of nowhere, pushing him away from Taehyung, ready to fight him. Taehyung wrapped an arm around Jungkook’s, stopping him.

        “Leave, before we turn you into fairy bacon strips.” Jimin growled out, staring the warlock down, glowing eyes urging him to take _one_ single step forward. The warlock huffed and turned around on the balls of his feet, fuming at the edges as another one of his attempts got screwed over. Jisung breathed a sigh of relief when the Fae was out of sight, smiling when Jimin instantly walked over to him to make sure that he was fine, scolding Taehyung because he was wet.

        They walked inside, Jimin walking with Jisung up to where the bath was ready, waiting for him. Despite knowing them for only four days, Jisung still felt comforted by the hand Jimin kept on his upper back as they walked, reassuring him that he was still there.

        “Who was that guy?” Jisung inquired as Jimin opened the bathroom door. Jimin was still a few centimeters taller than Jisung, so he had to look up a little when he spoke.

        “That was an old pest that always bothered Taehyung into selling him what he worked. He also fell in love with Taehyung, so when he found out that he was already mated, and from a very long time ago, he went crazy and now he’s even worse than before. Although, you shouldn’t worry about him. Tae will alter the wards so he won’t be able to enter anymore and you only have one more day of the ritual.”

        “But what about afterwards?” Jimin’s dark brown eyes widened ever so slightly, surprised by the question. He blew a loose brown strand from his eyes, dragging Jisung towards the bathroom.

        “Don’t worry about us, we’re strong so we’ll be fine. We’ve resisted against him up to now, didn’t we? Though, I hate that he’s from Busan like me and Jungkook…” Jimin smiled warmly at him, truly surprised that Jisung was worried about their well-being.

        “Did Tae say that he needed to add-“

        “This bag over here and those roots.”

        “Ah, observant as always.” Jimin grinned, grabbing the ingredients that Jisung pointed out and throwing them into the tub, awe lighting up his face when the water turned a light blue, almost teal color. It was one of his favorite colors. “Here, your bath is ready. Also, take these. They’re cookies baked by Jin, sent with special regards towards you. Not everyone is as strong as you to go through with such a hard, psychological test. I heard a lot about what the oracles do from Taehyung when he went through the same ritual. He wasn’t as strong as you though, because he had quite dark thoughts for a while until Jungkook managed to snap him out of it. We all respect you a lot for this and we also wish that you’ll pull through with the ritual successfully.”

        “Taehyung went through the same thing?”

        “Yeah. He was the same as you. Now, enough chatting, you’re supposed to go in as fast as possible. Chop! Chop!” Jisung saluted, making Jimin laugh on his way out.

        Downstairs, Jungkook and Taehyung were wrapped in a heated argument in the main hall, Jungkook’s eyes darker than usual.

        “I thought you blocked him entry when you formed the wards.”

        “I did! I have no idea how he managed to get inside.”

        “Taehyung, you know how he was always after you, and not just to take the black blood. You need to be more careful with things like this especially when you chose to live away from us.”

        “Jungkook, please, let’s not go there.”

        “Why not go there?! I have to worry all the damn time because I can feel whenever you’re upset, whenever you’re distressed, whenever you’re in trouble, but I can never be there for you! I can only travel through portals whenever Hoseok is recharged enough to make them!”

        “I know Jungkook! I know…but this…this is more important than the two of us, it’s more important that our happiness. We could help make the Fairy Realm a safe place for everyone. You need to see my side of things as well.”

        “I see your side as well, but I don’t want to lose you to this Rebellion.”

        “We’ll be fine Jungkook. We’ve always been fine whenever stuff like this happened. We’ll pull through. Come here you big baby.” Taehyung raised his arms and pulled Jungkook closer to him, hugging him tightly.

        “Aww, Jungkookie is blushing.” Jimin cooed from the side, barely avoiding the snapback that Jungkook threw his way at rapid speed.

        Later that day, when Jisung was done with his bath and with sleeping, he trudged down the stairs, yawning. His hair was sticking in all odd directions, eyes still half closed.

        “Hello sleeping beauty.” Jisung recognized the slightly low but still a bit high voice, looking up in surprise to find Jungkook at the foot of the stairs.

        “You guys are still here? I thought you went back.”

        “We were about to, but Taehyung suggested we remain for dinner. He and Jimin are preparing the food as we speak.”

        “How long have I been asleep for?”

        “A couple of hours? I think it’s 10 or so.”

        “Damn, this ward thing is confusing as heck…”

        “Wanna change it?”

        “Huh?”

        “Yeah, come on. After all, how can we call it a true dinner if there’s still light outside. We need to light up candles and all that.” Jisung, still not completely awake, followed Jungkook down the hall, rubbing at his right temple. They arrived at a small room with low ceiling where a computer laid on a massive wooden table that seemed to have more levels to it. “This is from where Taehyung controls the wards. Technically, he’s the only one that can control them, but since I’m his mate, I can do it too.” Jungkook grinned cheekily at Jisung, reminding him of the way Felix would sometimes grin like that whenever he was ready to do something not really allowed. He enjoyed spending time with the three, but he really missed his family. He wanted the ritual to end.

        “Taehyung controls the wards with a computer?”

        “Not really. He just uses the computer commands to form certain spells that the computer remembers and uses. This way, I just have to add my print and tweak some things and, voila, darkness.”

 _“Jungkook!”_ Jimin shouted from the kitchen, the angry call followed by the sounds of a dish breaking. Jungkook grimaced, shoulders tensing up.

        “Ah…I forgot that Taehyung has no lights in his kitchen.” Jisung stared at Jungkook for a few more seconds before he burst out laughing, Jungkook knocking him over the shoulder with a mock offended look.

        “Hey, don’t laugh at me.” Jungkook himself was laughing.

        When they reached the kitchen, Taehyung and Jisung stayed off to the side as Jimin marched over to Jungkook through the darkness and grabbed him by the ear, tugging until he illuminated the room.

        “Kookie, you’re so forgetful at times.”

        “You’re one to talk.” Jisung watched with gentle eyes as Taehyung grinned at Jungkook while Jungkook bopped his nose, pushing him away with a knock of hips against  hips before stealing Jisung away again with a _let’s prepare the table._

        With the sky outside now dark and the house succumbed in shadows, Jisung had a little bit of difficulty in navigating it, but when Jungkook noticed that, he made Jisung grab his sleeve so he wouldn’t get lost. The first thing that they did in the dining room was to set up the candles, Jisung only snapping his fingers for them to light up. They arranged the table and flowers, dragging out the chairs and playing some music on Taehyung’s old stereo.

****

        “Why do you want to go to Incheon tomorrow, Jimin? I missed Taehyung, I want to visit more!”

        “I know you miss me Kookie, but you cannot allow Jiminie to go alone.” Jungkook grumbled something else in a lower voice, digging into his food. In less than half an hour, Jimin and Taehyung walked in with the food, Taehyung tapping his foot and wiggling his shoulders in beat with the music.

        It wasn’t the first time Jisung heard it, and it made him even more curious. If Taehyung and Jungkook were mates, then why were they staying separated? His curiosity was very strong, but he tried his best to fight it off. It wasn’t his place to know such things. He was just a guest, maybe even a sort of patient.

        Taehyung, who’d been watching Jisung’s inner debate, smiled when he realized that the other would not say anything, no matter how curious. Because of that, Taehyung decided to tell him.

        “Namjoon and I are working for a hybrid rebellion that is slowly rising.” Taken by surprise, Jisung could only listen, eyes wide. “We gather black blood that can be used to make tough spells work out, spells that can completely cleanse a full demon or dark fairy and bring them back to what they used to be as long as there’s even a little bit of Fae left in them. If there’s none left, then it kills them. I think I heard the leader of the Rebellion say once that the spell would help them with the prophecy? But I still have no idea what they were talking about. Plus, Seya refused to say anything else about it when I asked. Because of our work, and because we all have such strong cores, we cannot stay together with our clan, because our presences together attract a lot of danger and it could take down our entire mission. That’s why Jungkookie and I stay separated, and why Namjoon and Jin, his mate, stay apart.”

        “Thank you for telling me…” Taehyung could tell that Jisung wanted to say something else, although he didn’t seem too sure.

        “Go ahead Jisungie. What do you want to ask?” Jungkook got ahead of Taehyung, nodding his head at him with a light look in his eyes.

        “You said that you gather black blood…how does that work with spells?”

        “Well, after we collect it, we work on it in the lab that we have in the basement. We clean it, change the state of matter to a more solid one and analyze the power of it so we can classify it.”

        “You have a lab?!” Jisung couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice, Taehyung full-on chuckling at the way the younger’s eyes lit up.

        “Yeah, we do. Do you want to see it?”

        “Please?” And so, after they were done gathering the dishes and washing them, they descended into the basement. Taehyung had lights there, and with two claps, blue neon lights burned up, illuminating the laboratory. Those weren’t the only lights, because Taehyung also seemed to have other works kept in a massive fridge that had glass windows through which white light burst out. There were microscopes on one table off to the side, a big stone counter right in the middle on which blood bags and other instruments sat, and a metal rack off to the side. On the counter, Jisung saw a set of white calla lilies, petals dipped into a bowl, black vapors flowing into another one through a sort of tube.

        “Oh my deity, this is a lab. This is a true, beautiful lab! Taehyung, can I fall in love with a place?! I think I’ve hit my head and am now in heaven.” Taehyung started to laugh along with Jungkook, watching as Jisung started to run around the lab, shouting and pointing out each and every type of instrument and methods that he knew.

        “Do you like labs that much?”

        “At uni, we have classes in which we produce poison, and I’m the only person that volunteers to help the professor.”

        “You appear to be quite the alchemist. If you want, tomorrow morning before the ritual, you can attend while I work around. Maybe you can even help me with a potion.”

        “Yes that would be amazing! Thank you so much Taehyung!” To all of their surprise, Jisung ran over to Taehyung and hugged him tightly. Taehyung hugged him back, catching the way Jungkook and Jimin cooed at them.

****

        After he parted ways with Seungmin and Hyunjin in the market, Minho headed out to look for Blutige. He needed to talk with her and see her again to make sure that she was really fine after the portal. He felt a lot better now, the weakness from after the ritual gone, replaced with a sense of freedom and strength.

        Blutige wasn’t at her house, or in the library. Instead, he found her sitting on the edge of the Soul Fountain, fingers dancing atop the wavering surface.

        “Do you hear them?” Blutige asked, voice so soft Minho had to strain so he could understand. “They’re laughing right now.” She was talking about the mermaid souls inside the fountain, and yes, Minho could hear them if he paid enough attention. Their voices were soft, almost as if they were singing lullabies. “I guess you were looking for me?”

        “Yeah. I wanted to see you. How are your wounds? Did they heal?”

        “Yeah, I feel a lot better now.” She smiled, shaking her hands in the air to get rid of the droplets of water. “I heard about Jisung from Seungmin. Did he…send any message? Anything?”

        “No, but Namjoon is keeping in contact with Taehyung and everything is fine. Tomorrow is the final day of the ritual. I’m just so on edge…I can’t stand still thinking that something could go wrong, especially after that dream.”

        “Minho, Taehyung is a very strong tribal fairy. He’ll see that everything goes well through the end. I’m worried as well, but I pray that it all goes well. He’ll be back in no time.”

        “That’s…also something I’m worried about.” Blutige turned sharply to look at him. “I mean…being like this, away from him, made me realize just through how much pain I made him go through in my attempt at protecting him. I only wanted to keep him out of harm’s way, but I ended up being the one that hurt him the most.”

        “You finally realized it, didn’t you? When you love someone, you want to do everything for them. Jisung just loves you so much that he wants to risk everything for you, and you do the same. After this, there won’t be anything stopping you two from being together. You just have to get over the fact that you were both idiots with each other and have a serious talk.” Blutige tried to tease Minho with the last sentence and maybe even lift the other’s spirits up. It worked in a way, Minho laughing gently and pushing Blutige away.

        “You somehow have a way with your words, don’t you?”

        “I’ve just known you long enough. Honestly, with my social skills, it’s a wonder I’m running this district.”

        “Hey, you’re doing an amazing job, you know? You are the best leader and defender this district could ever ask for.” Blutige smiled at Minho, playing with the bracelet on her right arm. It drew Minho’s attention to it, the shaman gasping in surprise when he recognized it. “Isn’t that the bracelet I gave to you back in the Dark Realm?”

        “It is. I wanted to keep it, because it reminded me that I went through difficult times and I still got out of there. It’s even better that _you_ gave it to me, because you are the one that freed me from that hell.”

        “It’s quite a grim reminder…but it’s also a good one as well.” Minho played with the beads, smiling when he found the initials of the name he’d given her when they were there. “It’s nice that we’re out of there and truly free now.”

        “Yeah, it is.”

****

        In the early Thursday afternoon, Jisung walked out of the laboratory to go and have a bath before he would need to head out to the ceremony room where Taehyung would be waiting for him. All morning, they hung out together in the lab, Jisung absorbing everything the other did. At one point, Taehyung even allowed him to help with the modifications for the black blood, Jisung rocking on the soles of his feet with a massive grin when he ended the process successfully.

        Now, he was no longer in the lab. He was supposed to head out for the last part of the ritual; the most dangerous one. During the four days of cleansing, Jisung didn’t feel fear, maybe only a little in the beginning when he saw the way oracles looked like and heard the words that they spoke from inside the circle. Now, he felt like that. Scared, because everything could go perfectly fine and he would be a normal fairy again, or it could go horribly wrong and he wouldn’t be taking only himself down, but his family as well. Only then, after thinking it through more, he realized that everything was at stake. It terrified him to the bone.

        “Jisung?” Taehyung knocked on his bedroom door, stepping inside when Jisung didn’t answer. “Are you okay?” Jisung began nodding his head, but then he sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

        “What if it goes wrong?” Taehyung’s eyes grew even more worried as he walked over to Jisung, settling down next to him.

        “It won’t go wrong. If it were to go wrong, then I would’ve seen it in one of my visions. Everything will be fine. Also, I think Namjoon might come as well to attend and make sure that things are going alright.”

        “Do I need to know anything before we started the ritual for elimination?”

        “Just fight until the end. Also, have your mind set completely on the fact that you want it out of your body. You must have no second thoughts about the black blood leaving you, because then it might try to take control of you.” Jisung nodded, looking down at his almost white knuckles, opening his fists when he realized how tightly he was keeping them. Before Taehyung exited the room, Jisung stopped him with a question.

        “Do you have any pigeon messengers that I could use?”

        “I have a beautiful white dove that I can lend you.”

        “Thank you, Taehyung.”

        With the dove sleeping peacefully in front of him while he sat down at the desk, Jisung gnawed at the end of the pen that he was holding, unsure of what to write. He didn’t want it to feel as if it was his last letter, but he also didn’t want it to be light. He uncapped the pen and touched the tip to the paper, hand freezing as he thought well over his words. It would be cliché, and maybe even weak compared to the real thing, but he decided that an honest heart made up for a thousand words, words that he could say to Minho in his face.

       

I’ll be back.

                                  Firecracker.

 

        He rolled up the paper before he could ponder too much on what he wrote, tying it with an elastic before binding it to the dove’s leg. He opened the bedroom window and whispered _Azurblau_ into the dove’s ears before throwing her out, watching as his innocent confession flew through the sky.

        Praying one last time to their deity, Jisung walked out of the room and through the halls, heading for the ceremony room. When he got there, he heard hushed voices, voices that sounded very familiar to his ears. Upon throwing the doors open, Jisung found Namjoon and Felix talking with Taehyung right in the middle of the room where a circle was drawn inside of a triangle with chalk. Felix was the first one to notice his appearance, his eyes glossing over with tears instantly.

        “Jisungie!” He shouted, running towards the other, crashing into his arms. Felix hugged him so tightly he was afraid some bones would break, but this was Felix, so he hugged him the same, crushing the other’s body against his, burying his face in his fluffy blonde hair, inhaling the scent of _home_.

       “You’re here.” Jisung murmured with his face still hidden, arms still wound as tightly as possible around him.

        “I’m here.”

        “But how?” Jisung spoke louder, looking up at Taehyung and Namjoon. The two smiled at them, Taehyung walking forward so he could explain without shouting in the entire room.

        “There’s a triangle around the circle, as you can see. We’ll need three people as well. Usually, I would’ve done the spell without the triangle, but I want everything to work perfectly.”

        Jisung nodded before burying his face in Felix’s shoulder again, not getting enough of holding him. Taehyung allowed the two to remain embraced for as long as he could before he called them in the middle of the room.

        “Jisung, please step inside the circle. Felix, Namjoon, you go off to the sides.” Taehyung instructed, robes dragging against the floor as he walked over to the tip of the triangle. There were no lights inside, except for the four candles that sat in the corners of the room.

        Jisung buried his head in his palms out of nervousness as Taehyung started to chant. Being inside a circle again brought memories inside Jisung’s mind, memories of the oracles. It was almost as if he could hear them again, making him tighten his fingers in his hair. As Taehyung’s chanting started to intensify, so did the voices in his head, making him twist and turn, never getting out of the circle; he’d imbedded that rule in the wrinkles of his brain. He felt as if there were two inside of him, battling for control; the black blood wanted to remain with Jisung, speaking foully about how strong it could make Jisung, while his other side fought with it, shouting that he wanted to be free, that he wanted to be done with walking on the edge all the time, afraid of falling and being consumed by the darkness.

        When he felt liquid drip down his face, he removed his palms, staring at the black droplets that hit his skin. He looked up at Taehyung, but Taehyung’s eyes were closed. He looked behind himself, only to find Namjoon and Felix were gone. The circle and triangle drawn into the floor were gone as well, the room brightened by a sort of light that was coming from above. The light shone only above Jisung, making everything else dark.

        Off to the side, a mirror appeared, Jisung jumping on his feet when he saw the mirror heading his way. It was a full body mirror, obviously from the Victorian Era, the intricate designs speaking stories of their own. Jisung walked closer to the mirror, fingers dragging over the surface, the coldness of the material seeping into his skin. The surface rippled, and when Jisung opened his eyes again, his sclera was black, claws dipped into blackness, ears elongated and canines sharpened. His skin had a darker tinge to it, almost a light grey, lips bloodied and red. He was wearing black robes with fiery gems embedded into the edges, the necklace from Blutige replaced with a chain.

        **_“Why are you so afraid of me? I can help you get whatever you want…”_**

“You tried to attack my mate. You tried to make me turn into something that I hate.”

        **_“Those are only details, Jisungie. Join us, and you’ll feel so happy, so free. You will be able to do whatever you want. You could truly protect your family.”_ ** The loving nickname sounded vile coming from the mouth of his reflection. He glared at it through narrowed eyes, pushing away the thoughts about protecting his family. He could protect them without the black blood. He was strong enough.

        His reflection realized that he’d hit a sensitive spot for Jisung, instantly taunting him again, saying that he wouldn’t be strong enough without him. He covered his ears when a thousand voices started to ring around the room, telling him that he was weak, a coward, useless, undeserving. He tried to ignore them, but it was so hard when they were coming from everywhere. It almost sounded as if they were in his-

 _“Break free from the voices in your head, Jisungie!”_ He heard Felix shout from afar, eyes opening widely, searching for him. He looked back at his reflection and saw his dark self grinning at him madly, leaning into the mirror, claws gripping at the edge. He heard Felix again, and the reflection faltered. With a deep breath, Jisung rose his fist up and smashed the mirror into tiny shards, his reflection disappearing along with it.

        He felt someone touching him on the back, and when he opened his eyes, there was no black blood dripping onto his palms, only tears. He was shaking so hard, the hand on his back got removed a few times. He was finding it hard to breathe, throat clogged up.

        “He’s awake!” Felix shouted from beside him, Taehyung quickly appearing in his line of sight. He was carrying a metal bucket and a white calla lily. When he got close enough to Jisung, he shoved the bucket in his arms and brought the calla lily close to his nose. When Jisung tried to inhale again, he started to throw up.

        Jisung didn’t even know for how long he was leaning over the bucked, Felix’s arms wrapped around his waist loosely, comforting him. When he stepped back, wiping his mouth clean of the vile substance, he noticed that the bucket was almost filled with a black liquid that seemed to almost shimmer in the darkness or the room. Taehyung was quick to drag the bucket away from Jisung, walking out of the room along with Namjoon, saying that the better they got it out of the room, the sooner Jisung would start to feel better.

        He felt so, so tired, his body boneless, throat raw and eyes dry after crying for so much. Yes, he felt tired. Yes, he was in pain. But at least now he felt free, almost as if he could run on field and fight and be with Minho without having to worry that he would go berserk.

        “I heard you voice.” Jisung said, collapsing into Felix’s arms, placing his ear against his heart because yes, he was still alive and so were they. He’d succeeded.

        “I called out to you when I remembered what Taehyung had warned me about: if you see that he starts to give in to the words of the reflection, you must call out to him. We were seeing everything that you were seeing, Jisungie. Almost like a movie.”

        “I’m sorry, Fe. I was so close to giving in, but only because-“

        “-you always worry about protecting us. I know. But you thought back! You’re just as powerful now as you were before, there’s no doubt in that. You just need to gather your strength and get back up. Jisung?” Felix looked down at the fire fairy, smiling softly when he noticed that the other had fallen asleep.

        While Taehyung and Namjoon prepared a tea that would help Jisung recover faster, Felix stayed with him in his bedroom, cuddling close to him and sending out messages to Chan and the others that everything went fine.

        Minho felt the most relieved out of all of them, especially after he received that letter and he started to _panic_ because those words sounded reassuring but not enough. He’d been so ecstatic when he saw the message that he burst out crying in the middle of their living room, scaring the living lights out of Changbin and Seungmin. He’d given a weird excuse at that time because Changbin was there too, but Seungmin understood. He’d seen the message as well, after all.

****

        Felix woke up well into the evening, Jisung no longer next to him. His side of the bed still felt warm, so he knew that the other hadn’t been up for too long. Paddling across the floor, Felix reached for the doorknob and stepped outside, stopping at the top of the stairs to see Jisung with two people that he didn’t know. Jisung felt his presence closer, turning around and _beaming_ at Felix. It’d been so long since he last saw the other look so happy. Jisung was wearing the clothes that Felix had brought to him, black ripped jeans and a loose red shirt; Felix felt really happy to see Jisung out of the white robes.

        “Felix! I see you got up!” Jisung beckoned him over to him, the two other males smiling at how shy Felix was in approaching them. “These are Jungkook and Jimin. They’re part of the BTS clan; Jungkook is Taehyung’s mate, and Jimin is Jungkook’s brother.”

        “Hi.” Felix shook hands with them, relaxing when he saw the gentle smile on Jimin’s face. “Thank you so much for helping Jisung.”

        “We didn’t really do that much, it was all on Taehyung. We only kept him company.”

        “It still means a lot, so thank you.” Felix bowed low, surprising the three. It was an unusual human gesture for a fairy to do, but after living for so many years in Seoul and Busan respectively, they grew to learn that it was a sign of respect and gratitude. Jisung bowed as well, and when Taehyung walked into the hall, he found Jungkook and Jimin bowing to Felix and Jisung, and vice-versa, both fighting on who should bow to who because _we did nothing while Jisung helped_ and _you kept my Jisung sane so you did help._

        They all stopped bickering when Taehyung walked over to them, ruffling Jisung’s hair. Jisung whined at having his hair ruined, complaining to Felix about it.

        “Yup, he’s all back.” Felix exclaimed, flicking Jisung’s forehead with an affectionate smile. Jisung could almost feel himself tear up again out of happiness because _yes_ , everything would be finally better and he would no longer have to worry all the time.

        “You’ve already used that one, so here.” Jungkook and Jimin watched with barely concealed smiles as Taehyung handed Jisung another feather.

        “But why-“

        “I want you to have it. The feather will grant you entry and will also help you come to my manor whenever you want. I need visitors to keep me sane in such a _creepy manor._ ” Taehyung made air quotes around the last two words, referring back to Jisung’s question on the first day there. “And also, you need to have it to be able to enter the lab. After all, alchemists are always friends.” Jisung stared at Taehyung, then down at the feather, then up at Taehyung again, before he got up on his toes to hug him tightly, smiling widely.

        “Thank you so much!”

        “Now go home and stay out of trouble.” Taehyung saw them out, waving at them as they stepped through the portal with Namjoon. Back at home, almost everyone was waiting for them, with the exception of Changbin and…Minho. Jisung was too preoccupied hugging his family and comforting a sobbing Jeongin in his arms to notice that Minho was not among them. When he realized that, he looked up at Chan. Even before he could word out his question, Chan smiled and nodded his head towards the door.

        “He went out by the secluded alleys.” Jisung nodded, going over to hug his leader, his brother tightly, thanking him with glowing eyes. He ran through the streets, searching for Minho. It was almost as if he could sense exactly where the other was.

        When he reached one of the dark alleys that led to L7L, he found Minho walking with his back turned, a slithering demon trailing behind him, hissing lowly. Jisung didn’t even bother with it, crushing its head underneath his boot just as Minho turned around.

        “Honestly, whenever I find you, demons are after you.” Jisung laughed, looking up into Minho’s serious, wide eyes. “I’m back. I told you so.” Jisung’s lips quirked up, smile disappearing when he noticed how the older remained frozen, eyes locking down onto Jisung, hands hanging limply at his sides. “Minho?” Jisung questioned, finding the silence to be unnerving. He inched backwards when Minho started to walk towards him, mouth opening to call his name again when Minho silenced him, lips bruising against his. Jisung grasped at Minho’s shoulders, responding with equal fervor, stumbling a little when Minho pushed him backwards until his back was one with the brick wall. Minho had no idea how to hold the other as closely as possible, arms going around his waist, up his back and into his hair, gripping at it tightly. He just couldn't think straight, not when Jisung was back in his arms, _alive._ Minho’s kisses sent Jisung into shock, his skin tingling with raw energy. He held onto the other’s jacket for dear life, feeling a little lightheaded from the kiss.

        When he started to feel his throat burn and sting all of a sudden, Jisung whined, dragging his nails down Minho’s back, trying to convey to him, but Minho had noticed, could already feel his own throat _burning_ as the tattoo surfaced. He kissed Jisung deeply, lavishly, pressing his warm body against his, hands tugging at his brown locks before traveling down to his neck where his fingers tingled upon coming into contact with the tattoo. Minho started to kiss gently down Jisung’s neck along the patterns, allowing him to breathe, nibbling at the skin until the pain turned into numbness and tingles, the tattoo inking itself deeper into Jisung’s skin. When Minho dragged his canines teasingly down the length of Jisung’s throat, the other was reminded of the night back at the party when they danced together, fingers tightening around Minho, hand going up to grasp at his jaw to draw him back into a searing kiss. Now that the tattoo was formed, Jisung could _feel_ so much, _sense_ so much wherever Minho’s hands met his body. He wanted kiss him again, to drag him back down in his arms, but Minho stepped away slightly, silencing Jisung, fingers rubbing his jaw.

        “Jisungie. I love you. There’s no amount of apologies that can fix the way I treated you. In my attempt to protect you from my past, I ended up being the one that hurt you the most.”

        “You’re right, there’s no amount...” Minho looked quickly into the other’s eyes, heart skipping a bit when he saw his red lips pulling into a grin. “…because you’re already forgiven. I love you Minho.”


	40. Memories and Cold Fingers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guyss^^^^ I know it must feel weird after so many long chapters to have a shorter one, but this time i didnt really get enough time to write, so i apologize beforehand xDD There will be a lost page coming soon as well, so it will add up^^ for now, we have Minsung revealing things and Changlix being cute <3 I love you guys, and more things are to come, so don't worry. Also, next chap will be bigger ;) ^^  
> Love you all so much! Take care of yourself and have fun ;)

        “How did you find me?” Minho inquired, leaning more into Jisung’s side, eyes fixated on the stars above. Jisung squeezed his hand and chuckled, looking at the other’s illuminated face. They were sitting down in the alley with their backs plastered to the brick wall, despite Jisung’s initial protest of how the ground was dirty and that they would be better off siting in a bed in a warm room.

        “Chan. He told me that you were wandering around and I went to look after you. I couldn’t find you by scent so I just followed my heart.” Jisung grinned cheekily, knowing that there was nothing else stopping them from being together now. Being so close to Minho, he could still hear, even feel, how hard and fast the other’s heart was beating. For the first time after meeting him, Jisung could actually _scent_ him; his scent was so uniquely him, sweet roses and honey with a tinge of green apples and leather. Jisung wanted to bask in his mate’s scent as much as possible. Minho stared at him with a knowing look when Jisung buried his face in his neck, scenting him.

        Minho could still feel his lips ache and pulsate from how rough he was earlier when kissing Jisung, but at the same time, he felt satisfaction blooming in his chest when he saw Jisung’s pouty lips, red and bruised as they revealed a smile when Jisung caught him staring.

        “I heard a lot about your past from Blutige and Seungmin, but I want to hear from you. Do you want to talk about it?” Jisung began after sitting comfortably in silence next to Minho for a while. “I mean, it’s fine if you don’t want to, we can talk another time-”

        “I grew up next to the crystal caverns.” That shut Jisung up, the fire fairy straightening up with curious eyes and leaning into the wall next to Minho so he could see the other’s face clearly. Minho brought his knees up and leaned his elbows on them, hands hanging freely, head relaxed against the bricks, eyes fixated onto the shining stars. “I loved to play in the caverns a lot while I was little, because the crystals always felt warm and loving whenever I touched them. My father was the one who discovered that I was a shaman before I reached the age of presenting and he started to train me. For some reason, I managed to control a third element, and ever since, I hid that from the elders and everyone else upon my father’s request. He always told me that it was for the best that no one knew, and I agreed. Years later I learned the true reason why he had made me hide my true nature when my instructor brought forward a shaman of our year and bashed him for not being able to control his second element and having a third, before we never saw him again. It was a sketchy thing, and days afterwards, everyone was talking about how the elders are imprisoning shamans with third elements just because they were dangerous. It was bullshit, and I wanted nothing more than to go back home to my parents. I was scared that I would be discovered.” Minho could still feel the panic and fear from those days when thoughts of being caught and imprisoned ran through his mind. “But then, the leader of my training group, Ryen, convinced me to stay, saying that he was in the same position as me and that he would protect me. We ended up watching each other’s backs for years to come during training, and we were never discovered. During a false alarm, we were training and I was supposed to keep guard in front while…while my team rounded up the nearby fairies and sent them to a designated safe place, but then the false alarm turned out to be true when demons started appearing from a gate-hole. I shouted at everyone that it wasn’t a false alarm and more warrior fairies arrived…and I should’ve probably died that day, but Ryen pushed me away from a portal that’d opened, saving me, but killing him instead, and my teammates...i found then barely alive in the infirmary.They died as well..” It still hurt him to remember his reassuring smile as Ryen disappeared in the black vortex, Minho crying out and feeling as though his heart had been ripped open for the first time, the wound deepening as he saw his teammates slowly die. “The elders got word of this, and when I was summoned in front of them, I thought it would all end. One of them started to rant, saying that I was a disgrace and that I was not fit to be a shaman, but another one, second to the eldest of them, revealed that I had a third element. Two of them wanted to kill me on spot, while the others decided that I was to train and become their personal shaman, someone that would do their hard work for them, because apparently I could become very powerful. I began training under the head guard of the council, and in less than a decade I became lead shaman of the council. It wasn’t long until the Great War from 700 years ago, back in 1428, took place. I was supposed to be on the front lines, defending the fairies, but a dark fairy whom I’d thought was one of our own managed to trick me into opening the wards, saying that it would help strengthen the defenses at the base of the battleground. I was inexperienced and foolish, and I trusted him. In the end, I regretted everything because thousands of fairies died because I wasn’t smart enough. The elders murdered my parents as a punishment, exiled me, and after that, I was left to die in the Dark Realm. Blutige managed to find me, and after we got separated the first time, the third in command demon general found me. He was so intrigued by my powers, maybe even obsessed, that he wanted to turn me into a dark fairy, something that I’d grown to despise more than demons for the way that I’d been tricked. I got away, and even after that, he would still always find me because of my scent and because of other demons giving away my location. My parents died, my teammates died, my friend and his family died, all because of me…You see Jisung? This is why I wanted to stay away while I still had dark blood within me. People died because I was too careless, and I didn’t want to add you, my mate, on that list. I grew to push everyone away, to run whenever something happened, because that was the only way I could redeem myself, by keeping others safe…but no more. I’m here to stay, Jisung. I promise.” Minho leaned closer to Jisung, brushing the angry tears away from the other’s cheeks, smiling weakly. “No more running.” Jisung closed his eyes with a shaky exhale and grabbed Minho’s wrist, leaning more into his palm before he got up from the ground, grabbing at his hair and pacing around. Minho got up as well, looking at Jisung with wide eyes, unsure of what was happening with the other. He could feel distress and anger rolling off of him in waves, and Minho hoped it wasn’t aimed at him.

        “Fucking bastards…” Yeah, not aimed at him. “How could they’ve done that to you? I always hated the elders for separating us from our families and exiling us, but now I have a _whole_ different reason. Those fucking manipulative bastards…It wasn’t even your fault! You trusted the wrong person, it happens, and yes, it can have awful outcomes, _but we all make mistakes_. To kill your parents?! That’s disgusting and the elders should be shamed in public for what they did. _They_ are a disgrace to all fairies, _not_ you. Why did all of this have to happen to you?” Jisung quit his angry pacing and approached Minho, grabbing his face gently between his palms. “Please Minho, stop blaming yourself. You always tried to do the right thing, you always tried to protect everyone around you. You saved Blutige, you saved Seungmin, you saved so many by just being there at the right time. Don’t you think I know about Chan? That man can’t keep everything to himself. You tried, and that is enough. I forgive you, Minho, so stop blaming yourself. Please…” Jisung’s voice broke at the end as he stared in Minho’s vulnerable and wide eyes.

        “I…” Were those tears trailing down his face? Minho couldn’t really tell over the buzzing of his skin and the heart beating rapidly in his chest. He never knew he needed to hear those words, but now that he heard them, he could feel the broken strings in his heart mending. Memories of his teammates, of his parents and friends came back, reminding him of everything that he had lost, and for the first time in his life of running and fighting, he allowed himself to cry and grieve over them. He was no longer Azurblau, the powerful shaman that could defeat thousands of demons and get out of a battle unscathed. He was no longer a smart strategist and alchemist who could overpower someone purely through knowledge. In Jisung’s arms, he was only a lost, hurt young boy who needed someone to hold him as if they could put him back together. That was Jisung to him, the piece that held his entire being together.

        “You know, ever since I saw you at the beginning of the university year, I thought that you were familiar. I always had a connection with you, despite never meeting.” Jisung murmured in Minho’s embrace, his voice muffled by the other’s jacket. When he felt him stiffen in his arms, Jisung moved away slightly, looking up at Minho. “Minho? What’s wrong?”

        “Uhm… _this isn’t going to be easy_ …please don’t be mad at me.” Jisung had sirens going off in his mind because whenever he heard those words, something bad followed. “I might’ve, kind of, sort of blocked a memory of yours from almost two centuries ago?” I sounded more like a question than a statement even to Minho’s ears. He cringed and looked anywhere but at Jisung, expecting the other to explode with anger, knowing just how much he hated others meddling with his memories, as he’d learned from Felix, but he was met with silence. Several moments later, after Jisung said nothing, Minho turned to look at him, bewildered when he saw the slight smile on Jisung’s face. It surprised him even more when Jisung started to laugh.

        “I kind of, sort of knew. I mean, as I said earlier, you were too familiar. Now, would you please tell me what memory you blocked?”

        “I can show you.” Jisung nodded rapidly, closing his eyes when Minho brought their foreheads together, his palms glowing a soft light blue.

        _Jisung had been wandering through the streets of Seoul, looking after Chan because his 190 years old ass had lost the older boy, when he heard weird sounds coming from an alley off to his left. He knew, from what Chan had practically drilled in his mind, that he shouldn’t wander away from the main streets, that back alleys and shortcuts meant certain death for anyone inexperienced with the way the Human Realm worked, but the distressed sounds of a person rewired his mind._

_He steered off the main path, going to his left and ahead. He was met with unnatural darkness, one he could easily recognize. Steeling himself for a fight, he turned right at the corner and froze, his eyes widening: on the ground lay unconscious a Fae, although Jisung would bet that it was a shaman from the staff and clothing. There was no one around, but upon looking closer, Jisung saw the creature glued to the brick wall. Butterfly demons were quite rare and deadly, rare because they never left the Dark Realm, and deadly, well, because they practically imprisoned you in a dark memory and sucked your vital energy while you were unaware. After the first time Jisung encountered them, he didn’t leave his house for almost an entire year, relieving the memory over and over again, feeling the way his life was draining away even after the demon was long gone._

_He knew that he had to act fast, because by the looks of it, the shaman would be dead in a few minutes at most. Jisung had no idea why, but upon seeing the shaman, something awoke within him, an urge to defend and protect the other. Growling, Jisung turned his attention towards the demon, freezing a little when the glaring orange eyes were aimed his way. The momentary fear of relieving that first encounter passed soon enough, Jisung pouncing on the creature and burning it with his fire, the horrifying howls filling the night. The demon wasn’t particularly strong, so Jisung was done with it in a matter of second, falling down to his knees next to the shaman almost immediately afterwards._

_“Hey, wake up. Wake up!” Jisung shook the male, but it was pointless. Leaning down, Jisung placed his hands on the other’s abdomen, eyes erupting in flames, eyebrows furrowing. **He has almost no vital energy left,** Jisung thought, quickly looking at the shaman’s pale face and barely moving chest. Jisung felt panic clawing at his throat; he had no idea how to save him, he never encountered victims that survived such an attack, so he didn’t know what to do._

_He leaned over to boy, placing his forehead against his chest, arms gripping at his sides. With all that he had, he prayed to Mother Earth for guidance, for help, for anything. He was so concentrated that he didn’t notice the blue orb fluttering over to them, the orb turning into a big blanket that covered the two. In an instant, Jisung started to feel his body growing weaker, eyes drooping shut, fingers loosening in the shaman’s shirt. When Minho opened his eyes, he found Jisung collapsed on him, breathing shallowly, forehead burning up. He looked around them, but there was no one nearby, only blue powder dusting their clothes. Minho’s eyes grazed over the scorched mark on the wall and the black droplets onto the alley before he realized that the Fae had saved him._

_Looking down at the male in his arms, now unconscious just as he’d been moments before, Minho leaned down and pressed his lips against Jisung’s forehead, blocking his latest memory without looking through it. He didn’t want the boy’s good gesture of saving him to make him a target for the demons that were after him._

“You tied your life force to mine.” Minho muttered in shock, opening his eyes as the memory ended. Jisung did the same, frowning at Minho.

        “I did?”  

        “Yeah. What Mother Earth did then, when she covered the two of us with that blanket, she tied our life forces together, saving me in the process.”

        “What does that mean?” Jisung asked, surprised by Minho’s sudden fear and realization.

        “It means that if something ever happens to one of us, it happens to the other as well. Anything could’ve happened while we were away from each other…”

        “Hey, it’s not that different from the family bond, or the clan bond, so it’s not that big of a deal. Plus, I think I’ve proved enough times that I’m hard to kill. I mean, yesterday is proof of that.” Jisung said, flicking Minho across the forehead. His mate whined, moving his forehead away from him and covering it with his palms.

        “Jisungie is mean to me.”

        “Minho is being a baby.” Their eyes crinkled with laughter, Jisung leaning in Minho’s embrace with a wide smile. His eyes caught the black patterns on the shaman’s neck, fingers ghosting over them with gentle touches. They were really together now.

****

        Normally, Felix would’ve gone over to Changbin’s room to see his mate, kiss him goodnight, and then fall asleep right next to him, but tonight? Nope, he had to go all the way to the studio where the other was working on a new song, in the middle of the night. Jisung and Minho were still not back, and Chan was reluctant to allow Felix to go, but Woojin simply grinned at him and turned towards Chan, guiding him towards the kitchen so they could _talk_ about stuff.

        Freezing was a much too gentle word to describe the raging weather from outside. Felix’s fingers and nose were red and frozen by the time he reached the studio, body shaking underneath the thick jacket. He buried his nose as much as possible in his turtleneck as he walked towards the elevator, paddling inside and struggling to hit the correct button with his trembling fingers.

        The corridors were dark and filled with shadows, the few lights at the joints between wall and ceiling doing a very poor job at illuminating anything. Felix could manage his way over the studio door with ease; he’d been there enough times to remember the trail.

        Knocking, Felix entered the room when he heard Changbin’s muffled voice, glaring lightly at the back of the tall chair. He could bet that the chair was made specifically taller than his mate so he would have something to tease Changbin about.

        “You seriously couldn’t come back home? You made me go through the hellish cold outside, all the way here.” He wanted to whine even more when Changbin turned around slowly with his chair, smiling a bit too smugly for his liking. Felix continued to complain even as Changbin grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him closer to his chair and into his lap, entwining his arms behind his back, peering into his eyes as he rambled away. When Felix realized that Changbin was too busy staring at his freckles, he stopped talking and pouted, looking at Changbin with a small frown.

        “You’re not listening.”

        “And you’re acting like a little baby.” Changbin grins, leaning in closer to Felix, his breath ghosting over the other’s pouty lips. His arms tightened around Felix’s waist, face drawing closer to his. He forgot to actually pay attention to Felix’s hands, so when he felt his shirt riding up at the back, he most certainly did not expect cold fingers to splay across his skin, making him shiver violently all of a sudden. He had to dig his socked feet into the ground and grab onto Felix’s thighs tightly so they wouldn’t fall, back falling against the chair, trapping Felix’s cold digits.

      “Ha! That’s payment for making me go through the cold.” Felix exclaimed, his own thighs tightened around Changbin’s so he wouldn’t fall off as the other squirmed. It bewildered him when Changbin straightened up with a frown, dragging Felix’s fingers away from his back and encasing them between his palms, blowing hot puffs over them and rubbing the between his own fingers in an attempt to warm them up.

        “I didn’t know it was _this_ cold outside. Sorry.” Changbin’s voice was soft, almost worried. It made Felix frown, slightly guilty over complaining that much. He could’ve stayed home if the cold really bothered him that much, but it didn’t, not really. The wish to see his mate was greater than any physical hindrance. “Your nose is probably cold too.” Changbin continued, leaning closer to Felix, brushing his nose against his, scrunching it up when he felt just how cold Felix’s nose was. He smiled and started to drop small pecks all over the other’s face, his arms moving from around his waist to all over his back, warming him up even more. Changbin’s last target was Felix’s lips, the kiss placed there longer and just as loving.

        “I called you over here because I wanted you to listen to a song that I arranged. Jeonginie sang on the track, and Chan and Woojin too.”

        “All right, go on.” Felix said, dragging himself closer to Changbin. He settled more comfortably in his lap, burying his face in his neck, arms going loosely around him as Changbin rolled closer to the desk and hit the play button. They listened together, the notes and beats and soft voices almost dancing around the room with how lively it all was. It was almost like a lullaby to Felix, his heartbeat slowing down, eyes closing by the second. “It’s really…pretty…the chorus is…I love it…” Felix mumbled sleepily, body growing heavier atop Changbin. When Felix was completely asleep, Changbin flicked himself mentally over the forehead for forgetting to tell Felix that he wanted him to sing in the song as well.

        He ended up cuddling Felix closer to his body as he continued to render the song, tweaking notes and beats where he deemed it necessary. It all went perfectly fine until Felix tried to move in his sleep and they almost tumbled to the ground if not for Changbin acting quickly. Again. It was about time they went home where they could actually rest.


	41. Pitter Patter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, i'm back with another chapter, and this one is longer ^^ i hope you enjoy it <3

        Jeongin bounced quietly on the balls of his feet, smiling widely as he watched Jisung and Minho sleep on the couch, passed out from exhaustion. They’d both had rough days.

        He was just so glad that Jisung could finally be happy in his own body and that he and Minho settled everything between them. Jeongin could practically feel the serenity in both of them as they slept next to each other.

        “They’re so cute…” He muttered to Felix when the other came out from the bathroom, golden locks dripping wet, eyes peering from behind them.

        “Come on, you shouldn’t be staring at them like a creep, no matter how cute they are.” Felix said, grabbing Jeongin loosely around the waist and dragging him into the kitchen so they could eat breakfast. Jeongin pouted, raising his hands in a weak attempt at struggling to get out of Felix’s grasp, but it was as if his body was made out of jelo. Jeongin blamed it on his weakness for his brother’s affection.

        “You’re wrong there, sir.” Hyunjin began from the very moment Felix stepped inside the kitchen with Jeongin. “If they’re cute, then I shall fulfill my need for cuteness by looking at them.”

        “You too?! What is this, a cult?”

        “Seungmin’s on it as well.”

        “They’re adorable.” Seungmin said, looking up from the stove to grin at Felix. Felix only sighed, exasperated with them. When they all turned to look at him with slowly growing mischievous grins, Felix shook his head, raising his arms in  front of him.

        “Nope, I’m not gonna do the same!”

        When Jisung woke up, he almost screamed when he found Hyunjin, Seungmin, Jeongin and Felix, all looking at him and Minho with warm smiles. He could almost hear them coo at them in his mind.

****

        During the break between classes and the Mythology course, Felix headed for the library. He needed to go through the runes again if he wanted to find the correct answer to open the carved door in the forest. He almost dropped his research papers, but the librarian was kind enough to help him to a desk. Felix felt a tiny bit guilty then for pranking him. Well, at least _he_ didn’t know.

        The library was serene, most of the students back at their dorms, probably collapsed on their beds after the last day of classes for the week. Felix couldn’t help but feel exhausted after the entire week, even more so after helping with Jisung’s ritual. It was almost as if a part of his life-force had been drained. It wasn’t as if he was complaining; he valued Jisung’s well-being more than he valued his own.

        The wooden table in front of him became a mess in less than a few minutes, papers strewn everywhere, photos of the ancient door and of the runes lined up. Words were written on the papers with blue markers, some Minho’s work and some Namjoon’s. He’d had help from the both of them, making the whole deciphering thing a lot easier.

He dragged the jacket closer to his body, shivering at the sudden gust of wind that filtered through one of the open windows. Once he lowered himself on the wooden bench, he reached out to one of the photos that he took one day when he went to see the ancient door with Hyunjin, analyzing the runes and carvings again.

        The stone arch had carvings of a phoenix in its different stages, the last stage being of ashes before it came back to life, stronger than before. There were fire vines curled around the edges, the green moss on the stones a dark grey that seemed to glisten golden in the pale moonlight. He was glad he took the photos during a night with a full moon. There was a bigger carving in the middle of the stone door resembling a Cerberus, although Felix was more inclined to believe that it was a chimera. Felix assumed it was there to protect the entrance against those who dared to enter without knowing the runes. Good thing he didn’t force the entrance.

        Cerberuses and Chimeras that were used to defend an area were simply created through spells, the creatures emerging out from whatever surface the spell was cast upon. In this instance, it would’ve been a stone one. Quite a powerful spell indeed.

        The runes were carved in a circular motion, forming a ring around the creature. Most of the carvings looked as if they’d been done by an amateur, making them hard to decipher, whilst the last rune was carved beautifully, as if through magic. No matter how nicely it was done, Felix and the others could not decode its meaning under any circumstance.

        Felix propped his elbows on the desk, leaning forward to start rearranging the photos in the right order so he could jot down everything that they decoded up to that moment. He grabbed a black marker from his jacket and started to write down on the back of one of the photos, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

        When Chan entered the library, Felix looked up, smiling warmly at the older fairy. “What are you doing here?” Felix inquired as Chan sat down in front of him, leaning with his palms on his knees to look at what he was writing.

        “Well, a certain younger fairy saw you sneaking around campus after classes with a bunch of papers in your hands, so I decided to check up on you.” Chan winked, placing his phone on the table to rummage through his sweater pockets.

        “Why are you wearing that monstrosity?” Felix gestured towards Chan’s vintage cream cardigan sweater, crinkling his nose. Chan shook his head, clearly offended.

        “This is not a monstrosity, Felix. It’s a beautiful, warm sweater-“

      “That looks like something a human granny would wear.” Felix continued to poke fun at Chan until the later resigned with a heavy sigh, pouting. He finally found what he was looking for, throwing the ring of keys onto the table. They clanked quite loudly as they hit the papers, Felix’s eyes instantly falling onto the rose petal charm attached to the ring. He’d gifted it to Chan when the other taught him how to drive on a motorcycle upon his request. Of course, teaching him how to drive one did not imply Chan acquiring one for him.  Something about Felix being too reckless even without a motorcycle.

        “Here’re the keys. Maybe you want to drive Changbin to the café. I mean, I don’t want him to walk on foot through Seoul just yet. There might still be demons around just ready to pounce on him. It’s safer this way.”

        “Wow, I didn’t expect you to allow me to drive your beautiful car.”

        “Ha ha, please don’t crash it.” Felix started to laugh at Chan’s momentary panic, grabbing one on his hands in a relatively tight grasp.

        “No need to worry, I won’t. Thanks for the car.” Chan nodded, looking back at the papers.

        “Did you discover anything else?”

        “Nothing new. Here, this is the entire text that we managed to decode. We’re one word short of unlocking the door.” Chan grabbed the photo on which Felix had been writing, reading the text inked in it. _If you speak out the name, then staircases will hail. The powerless ruler shall grow the fire to reach the hearth of the mystified lands, reclaiming what was once lost and awakening under the waters of the tree. Thy death was ruthless, dear…, but thy revenge shall be fulfilled._ And it ended there. “That’s the last word that we need. I think it refers to a person, but I have no idea how to translate it. Minho and Namjoon can’t translate it either.”

        “I’m not entirely sure you should open the door, Felix. What if something dangerous is inside?”

        “I won’t be alone when I will open it, so there’s no need to worry. And I don’t think that something dangerous is inside _._ I mean, why would someone go to the extent of casting a Cerberus spell on the door _and_ carving the way a phoenix would? It wouldn’t make sense for something dangerous to be inside. Maybe dangerous for others, but not for us.”

        “I…just promise me that you would be careful. Please?”

        “Always.”

****

        The camp was deserted around the tents, all of the hybrids gathered in Seya’s with the exception of Sarah and James who were out scouting the forests. Seya was pacing at the head of the long table, her blond hair roughly caught in a top knot, her violet eyes rimmed with charcoal after their latest fight where they had to camouflage themselves.

        “We have to do something about the two hybrids! They’re trapped in there with no means of escaping!” The shaman shouted from Seya’s left side, forehead creased, knuckles turning white from how tightly he was holding on to the back of the chair. Seya glared at him, coming to a stop and slamming her hands onto the table.

      “Do you think that I don’t want to save them, Jinyoung?!” Jinyoung opened his mouth to speak, but Seya wasn’t done. “It’s my _duty_ to save as many hybrids as possible, but we cannot reach them in the Fairy Realm! We need someone of the same blood to make a connection to them so we could guide them to a point of extraction!” Seya was fuming, the stress and anger gathered over the course of the past week manifesting now.

        “The brother of the hybrid is with a witch! In a demon camp! Hiding! Do you really think we could take him out without endangering them both?! There _has_ to be another way.” Jinyoung turned with his back to the table, walking away from it, wrecking his hair with his fingers. He could feel his magic sizzling, almost making him curse at it. He didn’t need another outburst like a few days ago.

        “There is-“

        “What the hell is going on in here? I could hear your voices all the way from the forest. You should keep it down.” James reprimanded upon entering the tent along with Sarah, their faces darkened. Seya instantly looked up, Matthew getting up from the table to get some food ready for the two. “How was outside?”

        “Things don’t look too bad, but they don’t look good either. The third in-…I mean, the second in command demon general is getting too active for my liking.” All of the hybrids still mourned the loss of the second in command demon general, because he was one of their greatest assets in the Rebellion. Seya also knew him personally, making it even more painful for her to call the third in command _second_. “He’s angry because he can no longer trace Azurblau, from what I gathered, so he sent a lot of demons to his last location, somewhere in Seoul. We need to get rid of them before we go anywhere else.” Sarah sat down at the table next to James, gathering her curly locks in a loose ponytail as Matthew brought forward two plates. “Thanks.”

        “He can no longer trace Azurblau? How?” Jinyoung walked back to the table, leaning over his chair as he questioned Sarah. James was the one to answer this time.

        “V. He cleansed Azurblau and another fairy of dark descent.”

        “Damn, that boy is never resting.” Jinyoung muttered, dropping down onto the chair. He was glad that a fellow shaman had gathered freedom from that monster and he couldn’t even imagine how hard the ritual was for the fairy of dark descent. Taehyung was a true blessing for all of them. “Seya, I’m sorry for shouting at you earlier, but I really want to save those hybrids. Please, tell me that there is another way.”

        “It’s risky…”

        “I’ll take risky everyday over their deaths. Please? I have to make it up to somebody and this is my only chance!” Seya stared at Jinyoung for a long time, his desperate eyes digging into hers, the hybrids around the tent all tense with expectation.

        “Alright. We’ll organize a rescue for them. Now, it’ll be only a matter of time until the next portal opens in these forests. Sarah, Matthew, you’re on constant patrol until the portal appears. Jinyoung, you’ll stay with them to control the portal once it appears. I pray that we’ll get to them in time.”

****

        “Changbin, come on, or we’ll be late to class!” Minho shouted from the hallway, before marching over to Changbin’s door. Just as he was about to knock on it as hard as he could, the door opened.

        “Ow!” Changbin recoiled from the doorframe, hands instantly covering his forehead as he made himself small, body folding into two from the pain.

        “Sorry! I only meant to knock on the door. Hey, I didn’t hit you that hard, right? What’s my name?” Rushing over to the ball named Changbin, Minho crouched down, placing his hands around Changbin to help him up.

        “Asshole.” Minho laughed as Changbin pushed him away, still rubbing at his forehead. “This hurts, but I’ve had worse. _Also_ because of you.” Changbin’s lips quirked at that.

      “Yup, you’re fine. Now, move your ass before we’re late.”

        “Minho, what did you do again?” Seungmin shouted from the corridor, his foot tapping on the ground as he waited for his roommates.

        “Why do you assume that I am responsible?!”

        “I heard Changbin hiss in pain, I’m sure he didn’t hit himself. Wait, on second thought, I take that back.”

        “Hey!”

        In the end, they managed to get to class without any more incidents. Felix fussed over the slowly forming bruise while looking ready to punch anyone, while Jisung laughed at Minho when Seungmin told him about what’d happened. Changbin’s cheeks were flaming red because of Felix fussing over him, Jeongin and Jisung giggling quietly at that before Changbin caught their eyes.

        “Ya, stop laughing!” His cheeks turned even redder when Felix laughed and leaned closer to his face to plant a kiss on his forehead, asking if the pain was gone. Changbin didn’t get to answer, because Woojin opened the door to the classroom and stepped in.

        “Good afternoon class. How was your week? Or, yeah, maybe I shouldn’t ask that. You’re all probably exhausted with how much the teachers were drilling in you. I heard them talk in the main office. Man, you should’ve seen Raynolds and Julia. They were at each other’s throats again, both claiming that their classes would do better during the mid-terms.” The entire class groaned at that, making him smile sheepishly. “Yeah, mid-terms are another thing I shouldn’t mention. Anyway, let’s get onto it. As last week our course was interrupted, we’ll have another hour added, as promised.” At this, the students seemed to lighten up, nodding eagerly.

        “What are we going to talk about today?” One of the students asked, smiling up at Woojin with curiosity.

        “We’ll be talking in the first section about mates and shamans, and in the second section about the ruling system in the Fairy Realm. If we have enough time, we’ll squeeze in a bit about the ruling system in the Dark Realm too.”

        Woojin went around his desk after he dropped down his briefcase, leaning against it with his palms, clearing his throat. “Okay, so, as you well know, mates are not always pre-destined or blessed to the fairies by the deities. Some are, but the majority of them are found in the oddest of moments. It’s enough for two Fae to love each other and enter a relationship for them to be deemed mates, because, as opposite to humans, Fae do not get in meaningless relationships. Yes, they might feel attracted to other Fae, but unless they feel a certain connection, they do not enter a relationship. Now, pre-destined mates or mates blessed by deities are a whole different thing. If, let’s say, a deity of love blessed a Fae to find their mate, the Fae will acquire a sort of bond that will tug them to their mate, and once the bond is completed and strengthened, the Fae would be able to identify what their mate is feeling and even locate them, and vice-versa.”

“A shaman is born with a predestined mate, and it might not even be born yet, but the bond exists and it activates once the Fae is born. Once together, both the shaman and the Fae develop a certain tattoo that represents the both of them in some way, and the tattoo can appear anywhere. There are rare instances in which a Fae can have a mate and a pre-destined or blessed one.”

        After going through the topic for a few more minutes, Woojin handed out a set of papers to everyone with paragraphs marked for them to read and started to walk through the rows of desks, hands clasped behind his back. As he kept on strolling, he saw how Felix and Changbin kept on squirming without reason from  time to time, laughing quietly when he noticed them poke at each other with their pencils before looking away with big, playful grins. A few desks ahead, Jisung was showing Minho something on one of the pages whilst also looking up at his neck, leaning close into his personal bubble. It was a relief for Woojin to see the two finally happy like that. Chan’s eyes caught his, making Woojin smile softly. He headed his way, resting against his desk as the other students got closer to finishing.

        “Why are you grinning like that?” Woojin inquired, looking down at Chan. He could see from the corner of his eye how Chan was already done with his paragraphs, some words highlighted, though Woojin was certain that Chan knew all of that like the back of his hand. He’d proved to Woojin many times that he knew more than enough about the Fairy Realm.

        “I don’t know, maybe because I have the prettiest Fae right next to me and because I cannot wait for class to be over so I can spend time with said Fae.” Woojin’s cheeks tinted red at that, the Fae knocking Chan over the shoulder before moving away from his desk so he could resume his stroll.

        “I assume that you’re all done reading, right?” Woojin inquired once he was back at his desk, refraining from laughing when he saw Hyunjin suddenly straighten his back in an attempt to hide that he’d been dozing off. Seungmin buried his face deeper into the papers that he was holding up, trying to hide his red cheeks. “Let’s move on to the next chapter, which is the ruling system. There isn’t much known about the period between the governance of the deities and the governance of the elders. In the past, the deities ruled the Fairy Realm until they retreated into the shadows of the realm, no longer deeming it necessary for them to rule. Then, the elders took control over the Realm. The elders are centuries old Fae who became stronger with each century, almost as strong as the deities. They established a set of rules from the start, as well as the punishment of exile for greater crimes. There are eight elders, and all of them live in the houses surrounding the Elder Council, a big circular room next to the Great Chambers. In order to make sure that no exiled fairies return and that no hybrids survive their pursuit, the elders formed an elite group of hunter tribal fairies, fairies that are very powerful and meant to capture the hybrids and kill them. The tribe from which these fairies come is unknown, and it is also believed to be a smaller yet more powerful one. Even without being a hybrid, Fae fear this group, because of their rumored merciless and brutal behavior. You can find more details about them in the pages I gave you.” Woojin could tell that only by mentioning said group, it lowered the mood of the entire class. He’d had his fair share of trouble with one of the hunter fairies, but he managed to get away unscathed. From the looks on their faces, his mate and the others had encountered them too. Woojin could tell that their meeting with them hadn’t been good.

        To hear about the hunter fairies was the last thing Chan wanted, because it brought back bad memories. He could still remember the day when the hunters came to their shared house in the Fairy Realm, searching for the very same hybrid that they were shielding. He and Felix got it the worst, with five days spent in the prisons underneath the Elder Council, all because the hunters thought that there were traces of hybrid magic. It was just their luck that Jeongin was quick and smart enough to conceal the hybrid and to take him away before the hunters found him.

        Sneaking a glance at the clock, Woojin noticed that they had a total of five more minutes to spare before the bell rang, so they could talk about the ruling system in the Dark Realm. “Seeing as we have a few more minutes to spare, how about we talk about the ruling system in the Dark Realm.” Woojin hopped onto his desk, bringing his hands together in front of him. “Demons don’t have emotions, so they don’t get attached, meaning that it’s very easy for them, if they don’t like one of their less powerful _friends,_ to just kill them without even batting an eye. Because of this, their hierarchy is based on who is stronger, the strongest of them being the first in command demon general, although he’s rarely seen, followed by the second and third, then greater demons, and then lowlings, or less powerful demons. The warrior fairies-“ The bell rang, cutting Woojin off. He sighed, along with the rest of the class, getting up so he could see them all off. “I hope you enjoyed this week’s course. Have a nice weekend and sleep! You’ll need it to beat the mid-terms!” The students smiled at Woojin’s encouragements, saluting him before exiting the class. Chan skipped over to his desk, smile wide and bright.

        “So, ready to leave the classroom?”

        “What do you have in plan?”

        “Well, I was thinking we could pay a visit to Livander’s Tea shop and get something warm to drink.”

        “Sounds nice. But first you’ll have to go back to the dorms and grab a thicker jacket. I’m not letting you go out with that one.”

        “Fine, mom.” Woojin pinched Chan’s cheeks when the other pouted, actually giggling when Chan looked up at him with the funniest of expressions. With a small kiss placed upon the other’s lips, Woojin pushed Chan towards the door, going around his desk to gather his things.

        “See you soon, charming!” Chan shouted, winking at Woojin. His voice had been so loud; Woojin got flustered thinking that someone could’ve heard him.

****

        Felix grinned to himself as he wheeled the car around to the front of the university. He was still wearing his dark blue jacket with a fur-lined hood over his muscle black shirt, black jeans held by a leather belt on his hips. His boot hit the brake pedal, hand moving to grasp the gearstick and shift it to first gear before pulling the parking break and twisting the key to stop the engine. Once the beast roared to a stop, Felix brought his hands together atop the wheel, looking ahead after Changbin. He felt giddy, driving for the first time after leaving their house. It was also a good opportunity for him to look cool in front of Changbin while driving, but that was a whole other thing.

        When a lock of hair fell into his eyes, he blew it off, hands going up to tame his messy hair, even if only for a bit. Ever since he started training with Namjoon, he could handle himself a lot better, the phoenix no longer battling him for a place, but rather living alongside him. He could easily summon his fire now without worrying about unleashing the phoenix.

        Changbin’s seal was still bugging him a lot, despite the other not showing any signs of it breaking any soon. He could feel Changbin’s energy more and more these days, as if he was growing stronger. With him now able to control his phoenix better, it was easier for him to actually maintain a glamour and not shift in Changbin’s presence. Easier, but still hella difficult, which is why he still needed to wear the charm.

        A sharp knock against the window on his side made him jump in his seat, eyes going up to meet Changbin’s mischievous ones, hands clenching onto the steering wheel out of instinct. He heaved a sigh and grasped the lever to pull the window down, leaning outside to grin at Changbin.

        “Is that any way to greet your driver?” Felix teased, smiling despite the harsh wind from outside whipping at his cheeks. Changbin shook his head and pinched Felix’s now red cheeks, cooing at his face.

        “Of course it is since you were just waiting here, lost in your own world. It was the perfect opportunity to scare you.” Felix gasped in mock shock, grabbing at Changbin’s wrist, pulling him closer.

        “Then I shall drive away into the horizon on my own without you.”

        “You shan’t do that!” Changbin leaned closer to his face, eyes as wide as possible, both enamored in a staring contest. When a droplet of rain fell right on top of Changbin’s nose, they broke apart laughing, Changbin wiping at his nose with exaggerated movements, making Felix laugh even more. Changbin loved to make his boyfriend laugh as much as possible.

        “Come on in before the rain gets stronger!” Changbin waddled around the pickup truck, his polyester jacket rustling loudly, bringing yet another smile on Felix’s face. He just couldn’t help it. Changbin’s cuteness did something to his heart.

        Once his mate got inside and shut the door, Felix reached for the key, starting the engine and shifting the gear so they could leave the university. As Felix’s fingers swiftly changed positions across the wheel, Changbin stared at him. Even if he wanted to look away, he couldn’t. There was something captivating about the way Felix bit his lower lip in concentration as he drove the car down the road, brows furrowed, tongue clicking against his teeth in frustration as he got stopped at a red light. When Felix turned around to look into the side rear mirror to see if there was anyone else signaling right, he noticed Changbin looking away as fast as possible, clearing his throat and pretending that Felix wasn’t looking at his clearly red cheeks. He could just blame the redness on the harsh wind from outside.

        Felix sighed in relief, pretty much aware of the fact that he hadn’t really spent time with Changbin because of Minho and Jisung and everything that’d happened in between, so going through such a familiar feeling of smiling and feeling flustered at the same time felt refreshing. It meant that Changbin wasn’t upset with him with all that’d happened. Thinking about this, Felix reached out and grasped Changbin’s hand in his, twisting his fingers around Changbin’s in a tight hold. Changbin turned to look back at him, his heart twisting in the most delicious of ways when he saw the love and warmth swimming in Felix’s somehow golden-tinted irises. Changbin can’t even think of a day when he would not see those eyes aimed at him. He doesn’t even want to think about something like that. Felix was his. Period. _Woah, where did that thought come from?_ Changbin tightened his grasp around Felix’s hand, surprised by his own thoughts. When did he become so possessive?

        The red light shifted to green, Felix’s hand going to pull the handbrake down with a loud clank and speed up to the right, shifting the gears along the way, the pitter patter of the raindrops blending in with the low tuned music. Once he was set on a nice speed, he grabbed onto Changbin’s hand again, other hand clasped securely on the wheel. Not really safe, but he could manage.

        L7L Café usually had a few customers on a late Friday afternoon, but today, it was almost as if two festivals were ongoing and several new shops opened, taking everyone out of their houses and in a rush to quench their thirst. By the time Changbin got inside as Felix made sure everything was in place with the car, there were rows of customers waiting _just_ to place their order, while all of the tables were full. When Mr. Siege saw Changbin, his eyes brightened up as if he was seeing an angel. Not a bad comparison as he was there to literally save him from the customers.

        “Changbin! I’ve never been happier to see you!”

        “Good afternoon Mr. Siege! I’ll be right back, just let me go change!” Changbin shouted over the loud music, pushing through the crowd so he could get to the backrooms where the staff changing room was. Someone rushed behind him and grabbed him by the wrist, Changbin sparing a glance before he was running to the back with Felix’s wrist clasped in his hand.

        “Damn, I didn’t know that it was Café Black Friday. What’s going on out there?”

        “Well, all that I know is that there’re a handful of customers that I need to deal with outside of this room and that I don’t know from where they came.” Changbin exclaimed, reaching out for his locker to grab his uniform. Felix looked off to the side, caught in his thoughts, before exclaiming and grabbing onto Changbin’s shoulder.

        “I can help! I mean, I’m sure Mr. Siege wouldn’t mind it if I joined you, right? I know how the stuff works around here, so I won’t mess you up.” Changbin stared at Felix, mouth agape and fingers loosely grasping at his black and white shirt. He shook his head lightly when he realized that he had to answer, patting Felix’s cheek gently.

        “I’m sure Mr. Siege would be more than glad to have you help me. Well then, I guess you should change as well. Minho’s and Seungmin’s lockers are over there, although I think there’s a spare uniform around here, somewhere…”

        “I’ll take Seungmin’s. That way, I’ll get to see him pissed at me for taking his uniform.” Felix chuckled, rushing over to Seungmin’s locker with an evil grin. “Should I spray some perfume on it? He hates mine.”

        “What’s gotten into you?”

        “Oh Changbin, you don’t know how many times I pranked someone. It’s my favorite past time. I just don’t do it that often because I’m not quite as into the mood as I used to be.” Felix explained, his words dying on his tongue when he turned around only to catch a glimpse of Changbin shirtless. He hid behind the row of lockers, clutching the uniform to his chest. _Get a grasp Felix, it’s not as though you’ve never seen someone’s torso before._ Felix took a deep breath and started to change as well, jumping when Changbin asked from behind the lockers if he’d found the uniform. “Yeah, I did!” Felix grabbed the last piece, the black apron, and tied it around his waist, stepping away from the lockers. “Ta da.”

        Changbin turned around from his messenger bag, grinning when he saw Felix in the café uniform. Black and white suited him. “You look good.” Felix smiled and grabbed his phone, snapping a photo of Changbin dressed in the uniform while he turned around, before sneaking it back in his pocket. He was really glad he didn’t forget the flash on this time. Last time provided for a really awkward situation.

        The café was just as loud as before, but this time they were both on the other side of the counter, ready to take orders and prepare them. Most of the customers were middle aged, stressed but also in high spirits because of their relatively nice day, save for the light rain outside. There was no festival or new shop opening, but rather a competition downtown between two newly opened clubs and everyone wanted to freshen up before a ravaging night out.

        Two hours later, only a few of the tables were still occupied, most of the customers outside in the open world with their freshly brewed hot beverage. Felix leaned against the counter, wiping at his forehead and sighing in exhaustion as Changbin collapsed into one of the stools.

        “Damn, I don’t remember having such a full day in, like, ever.” Changbin muttered, grinning up at Felix in a lazy manner. “Thanks for the help.”

        “With pleasure.” Felix winked, pushing himself away from the counter to swing his arms around in an attempt to get the blood to circulate again. He saw a shadow pass by the backrooms, instantly sending an alarm off in his mind. Stalking towards the door, Felix looked around, worried that it was another demon sneaking in to attack Changbin like it had during the Halloween night. When he stepped inside, the shadow disappeared in the darkness almost as soon as it appeared, the pungent smell of blood and sweat disappearing with it. He frowned, hands instantly curling into fists at his side as he started to walk forward towards the back of the room where the metal shelves were.

        He was so wary of the shadow as he approached the tracks that he forgot to actually watch his back, almost socking Changbin in the face when the other placed a hand on his hip, asking what he was doing.

        “In the name of the deities…Please don’t scare me like that! I could’ve hit you!”

        “Well, you didn’t, and I’m glad for that…What got you so tense here?” Changbin maneuvered Felix so he was facing him, brushing a hand through his golden locks in an attempt to soothe his muscles back from their tenseness. Felix leaned into his touch, sighing at the pleasant feeling.

        “I thought I saw something…but it was nothing, apparently…” Felix brought his hands forward, plastering them over Changbin’s chest so he could lean in closer. He smiled when Changbin tightened his grasp around Felix’s locks, bring the other closer so he could place a short kiss on his lips, whilst Felix grasped better at the other’s jaw, tilting his head and prolonging the kiss.

        “Come on, I made us hot chocolate.” Changbin spoke lowly, his lips brushing against Felix’s soft ones as he did so. Felix grinned, leaning in to press another kiss.

        “Is that why you taste like chocolate?” Changbin blushed, pushing Felix away and running out of the room, Felix running after him, laughing.

        Once they settled down at the marble countertop, each with their steaming mugs of hot chocolate, Felix cuddled into the hoodie that he stole from Changbin’s locker, grinning mischievously at Changbin when the other pointed at his hoody, mouth open and ready to inquire, before he shut up with a shake of his head and a small smile. Just by holding the mug between his fingers, Felix felt himself warm up, the harsh wind and strong rain from outside no longer making him shiver.

        It didn’t occur to either of them that Mr. Siege was nowhere inside the café.


	42. Monopoly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers. I'm so, utterly sorry that i had to delay the update for such a long time, but since school started and i'm supposed to study a lot more for upcoming exams, school has been kicking my ass, but i got determined and i kicked back and here's a 5k chap xDDDD I hope you're not too upset with me^^ i'll try to update regularly again, hopefully i'll manage my time better.  
> Now that i finally got back on AO3, i wanna say something: I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THERE"S FANART BECAUSE A WONDERFUL PERSON ACTUALLY WANTED TO DRAW FELIX AND JISUNG THE WAY I WROTE THEM IN MY STORY> LIKE, CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT HAPPENED?! i was in shock when i first heard, because i never expected sth like that to happen and to this day i still smile so widely whenever i remember because it made my heart soar with happiness!! Please go and give lots of love to kira on https://twitter.com/akzstraykids for the wonderful and amazing works of art!! https://twitter.com/akzstraykids/status/1040617153907458048 (felix) and https://twitter.com/akzstraykids/status/1040254265166622725 (jisung). Thank you so so much!!! \\(❤ ‿ ❤)♡/  
> I hope you'll enjoy the chapter, and as always , stay safe and happy! Love y'all ❤

        As soon as Changbin’s shift was over at the café, he and Felix headed back to the university, cloaked in darkness. The engine and the soft music weaving through the car were the only noises disturbing the otherwise peaceful night. Jeongin had been rather excited to have the two of them back home, because apparently they were all preparing something for the night. If it was another horror movie, Felix would just go to sleep as fast as possible next to Changbin’s warmth and pray that he wouldn’t wake up during the movie like last time.

        Changbin was bopping his head quietly to the music, fingers tapping along the edge of his seat, lips quirked in a relaxed smile. Felix could sense the contentment and calmness rolling off of him in waves. He was glad the other was more relaxed than he’d been for the past few days.

        Once the parking lot came into view, Felix drove in and parked the car, shutting the engine down and leaning into his seat, stretching his arms as much as he could without hitting the roof of the car, eyes squeezing shut, a yawn pulling out of his throat. Changbin grinned, eyes having traveled over to Felix once the other stopped the car. It was dark outside, the moon peeking out from behind thick clouds, spewing soft rays that barely lit anything, the sky dark and rid of most stars.

        When Felix sensed the other’s gaze on him, he instantly felt his cheeks heat up. He really didn’t like the instantaneous effect that Changbin had on him all the time, although that dislike was pretty quickly nullified whenever the same happened to Changbin.

        Muttering nonsense underneath his breath, Felix slapped his own cheek gently, not sparing a glance at Changbin and getting out of the car, struggling a little with the door. The cold air whipped at his cheeks, his breath coming out in white vapors. Winter was approaching and that was pretty obvious.

        Changbin followed suit, shutting the door and leaning into the car. He didn’t seem to be as affected as Felix by the cold. In fact, he seemed to be rather warm. Maybe Felix could take advantage of that. Waddling over to Changbin, Felix walked behind the other with a pout, plastering his chest all over his back and shoving his hands in his pockets, over his own, tangling their fingers together.

        Felix settled his chin over Changbin’s shoulder as the other shivered from the added coldness, squeezing his fingers around Felix’s, smile pulling at the corners of his lips. His entire torso was now hugged between Felix’s arms, his back warm.

        “If you’re going to stay like this, how are we going to move?” Changbin inquired after five minutes of leaning closer to Felix and warming him up. He’d jumped when Felix had buried his cold nose in the juncture of his throat.

        Felix grinned. “Move your feet and I’ll move mine in sync.”

        “We’ll fall that way.”

        “Trust me, we won’t. Come on! How can you know if you never tried?” Felix’s tone was persuasive, although it was enough for Changbin to see his glistening eyes to be convinced of whatever the other was saying. Changbin took a deep breath and started to move his legs slowly, in time with Felix’s movements. Felix tangled himself even closer around Changbin to make sure that he wouldn’t fall, steps mirroring Changbin’s. Their movements were close to resembling those of a penguin, their jackets rustling with each move.

        By the time they were halfway through the campus with no one seeing them, they started laughing from how ridiculous the situation was. Changbin felt his stomach muscles clenching tightly with the strength of his laughter, squeaking when his sudden movements almost caused them to collapse. That was when Felix started to laugh as well.

        With a sense of satisfaction that Changbin didn’t really know from where it came, he twisted his neck and planted a firm kiss on Felix’s cheek, doing it again when Felix’s eyes crinkled from his widening smile.

        They continued to waddle through the open ground until they reached the front door to the right wing, Changbin struggling to open it with his elbow, because he didn’t want to remove his fingers from around Felix’s. To his surprise, it was enough for him to nudge the doorknob for it to open, almost as if through magic.

        Pushing through the door, Changbin heaved a sigh as soon as the door closed and the warmth enveloped them, his body shivering involuntarily from the sudden change in temperature. To his surprise, Felix remained frozen in place, fingers still wrapped around his and body pressed closely, nose buried in the tall collar of his jacket. “Felix?” Changbin inquired, although his question was met with a low hum, Felix nosing at the nape of his neck. Changbin almost jumped out of his skin when he felt Felix’s cold lips plastering against his skin, goosebumps chasing each other across his body. “Your lips are cold.”

        “Well, I could do with some help warming them up.”

        “You did not just say that, you brat.” Changbin grinned over his shoulder, twisting around to face Felix. The other was somehow fast enough to switch the angle of his hands so that they were out for less than a second before his fingers were back around Changbin’s. With a smug grin, Felix leaned in and captured Changbin’s lips in a searing kiss, pulling his body closer by his pockets. Felix instantly felt his body warming up with energy, the bond thrumming with life as both he and Changbin got rid of the coldness in their bodies. Changbin sighed into the kiss, pleased with the sudden warmth that seemed to cover him like a cocoon, almost making him wonder whether Felix’s kisses were magical, despite how cheeky that sounded.

        Felix was lost in the touch, his thoughts muddled by Changbin’s mere presence and energy. He felt so at ease and calm whenever he knew the other was safe and next to him. From being close friends to lovers, Felix couldn’t really tell the difference now that he thought back on it. Everything just came so naturally when it involved Changbin.

         Drawing apart, Felix struggled a little to regain his breathing, forehead leaning against Changbin’s, the tips of his fingers buzzing with energy. Changbin played with Felix’s fingers as he started to sway with him, eyes closing, muscles relaxing. They were all alone in their own world.

        “Come on, the others are waiting for us.” Felix muttered half-heartedly, but the other took his hands out of his pockets and wrapped them around Felix, hugging him tightly in his arms, taking in the other’s scent almost as if by instinct. Felix felt his eyelids fall shut as Changbin unknowingly scented him.

        “In a few minutes.”

****

        Drawing a sharp breath, Yedam made his way through the darkened room, cobalt blue robe dragging along his feet, the sound of metal clicking following after him as the bracelets around his ankles moved.

        He was back at the university in his dorm room, although the nagging feeling of something going bad sat right in his gut, unnerving him so much it was getting to the point he needed to do something about it. Because of that, he had to turn down Chan’s offer of staying with them for the night to play some games and watch movies, something he really didn’t like doing because he would love to spend his time with them. He had everything ready to go under, something he hadn’t done in a really, really long time.

        The first thing he did when he came back to the university from the Crimson Sea District was to clear the entire room, moving the carpet away and the desk off to the left, his retractable bed already locked away in the closet. He was glad his room wasn’t on the side with windows, because that way he didn’t have to bother with sealing them shut so that no light filtered inside other than that of the soon-to-be lit candles. Unlike other rooms, Yedam had replaced the flooring of his own with as much secrecy as possible, changing the plain wood with a rosewood enchanted one, because the maroon surface made chalk a lot more visible. It would help with his symbol-drawing skills.

His walls were bare and white, only the one to the right of the door bearing a tall, slim plant with red petals and black seeds, Papaver somniferum, better known as Opium poppy by the folk, the name coming from the plant’s seeds capability of being used as a drug. The same plant was drawn on the inside of his door as well.

        Grabbing the chalk from the nearby table, Yedam crouched down and started to draw over the marks on the wooden floor, etching symbols into it and encasing them in two circles that intertwined, the surface big enough for him to lie down. The chalk tied with the rosewood almost as soon as the piece touched it, giving away its wonderful properties.

        Yedam took off his shirt and trousers, remaining in a short pair of pants, the robe hanging over his shoulders for the moment. He grabbed a bowl containing a thick, vermilion colored liquid from beside him and placed it neatly in front of his knees, hand reaching out for the two black candles. He placed them each on the edges of the circles and lit them up with the help of a small spell.

        He took off his robe and reached for the powdered plants on his left, grabbing a fistful of them and spreading it over the floor, the spiky scent engulfing the room. He inhaled deeply and then grabbed two twigs of dried white sage, cutting them into two and stabbing them through the bodies of the candles, snapping his fingers as his eyes lit up a bright red, the flames of the candles wavering before the orange was engulfed in a pale blue, violet color.

        Leaning forward, Yedam dipped his fingers in the crimson substance and started to draw the same symbols that he drew on the floor, on him. The last symbol that he drew was placed on the center of his forehead, a circle with a dot in the middle. He’d taken too much of the substance for it began to trickle, but Yedam was quick in brushing it away.

        With the last of the symbols drawn, Yedam leaned backwards and watched as the chalk became brighter, sparkling a little in the candle light. Yedam had bought the chalk from a vendor in the District, because ordinary chalk would do no good during a spell. Pixie dust chalk, on the other hand, worked wonders.

        He started to word out the enchantment, the flames from the candles rising higher and the sage burning out into white smoke that gathered above his head, over the two circles, mirroring the symbols and the position in which the circles were drawn. Yedam lied down on the floor and closed his eyes, the smoke falling over him and trapping him against the floor just as he finished the enchantment. His eyes opened wide and he struggled to draw a breath in, muscles tensing up, the white smoke filling his lungs, his vision going black. He managed to go under successfully.

****

        “You shouldn’t use that bowl! It won’t fit everything!”

        “Then we’ll use this pot.”

        “That’s too big!”

        “How about we place the popcorn in that cardboard box that you keep in the lower cupboards?”

        “That would work but…”

       “Jisung, come on, stop being so stubborn.” Minho huffed, going over to the cupboard. He kneeled by the furniture piece and grasped the knobs between his fingers, pulling at them. The normally white kitchen had golden hues now, due to Chan replacing the light bulbs.

        “I’m not stubborn!” Jisung pouted, leaning against the kitchen counter. They were both assigned with preparing the popcorn and the other snacks, the others busying themselves with cleaning around the apartment and building a fort of pillows and blankets, half of the blankets strewn across the floor while the others were hung from different spots across that walls, golden Christmas lights tied around, meant to illuminate the inside of the fort. The lights from above were still opened until everything was ready for them to be shut and for the Christmas lights to be lit up.

        “Yes you are. You’re the most stubborn person I know.” Minho teased, dropping the cardboard boxes onto the counter, paying attention for when the oil was hot enough. Jisung looked up at Minho, finger digging into his chest with no strength.

        “You’re a lot more stubborn than I am, admit it.” Minho looked around, eyes squinted and brows pulled as though he was in deep thought, before he shook his head and looked at Jisung again.

        “Nope, you’re a lot more stubborn than me.”

        “Not true.”

        “True.”

        “Not true.”  Minho walked closer to Jisung, trapping him against the counter. He leaned in, grinning.

        “True.” Jisung gulped, focusing on anything other than Minho’s scent engulfing him, the other’s warmth calling to his. Jisung focused back on the task at hand, looking straight into Minho’s eyes.

        “Not true.” He said and ducked below Minho’s arm, rushing away to grab the popcorn seeds from the upper shelf above the sink. He could see Minho approaching from the corner of his eye, but he simply ignored him, opting to continue his search. He pretended not to notice the other as he snuck his arms around him, fingers dancing across Jisung’s stomach before settling tightly around his waist, pulling him into a warm and sturdy chest. Minho smirked when he heard the way Jisung’s breath stuttered on its way out, leaning in closely to drag his lips over the patterns on Jisung’s neck. Jisung tried to continue looking for the popcorn seeds, but it was almost impossible with Minho glued to his back.

        Minho couldn’t help but be playful and affectionate after the entire time when he couldn’t do as much as touch Jisung out of fear that he would be marking him as a target. It unlocked a certain part of him that seemed to always urge him to touch Jisung as much as possible, to hold his hand, to stay next to him, to place soft kisses on his cheeks and forehead, he just wanted to shower his mate with love as much as possible. Jisung, being playful and affectionate of his own accord, led to them bickering playfully from time to time, always ending up on a light tone, none of the conflicting opinions regarding small things mattering.

        Minho started to drop soft kisses along the length of Jisung’s throat, smiling whenever he felt Jisung shiver from the energy moving around them. When Minho sensed that the oil was heated enough, he made to step away from Jisung with one last kiss so that he could take the pot away from the stove to place the seeds inside and cover it quickly. Jisung quickly turned around and placed his hand on the side of Minho’s neck, other hand dropping the popcorn seeds onto the sink. He leaned in and connected their lips in an almost shy movement, touch gentle.

        Minho’s muscles tensed as he tried to contain himself from combusting from Jisung’s soft actions, fingers slowly moving up his arm to tangle in his auburn hair, adding pressure to the kiss before trying to move away to take the pot off of the stove. Jisung made a sound of disapproval, other hand going up to Minho’s jaw to tug him closer, nails dragging softly over his skin. Minho almost groaned, movements more harsh, lips more daring. He drew closer to Jisung, fingers tangling together as they kissed.

        While they had their backs turned to the kitchen door, they didn’t notice Jeongin entering, the question on the tip of his tongue dying at the sight before him. His eyes widened, his vision quickly turning dark as fingers covered them.

        “Stop making out, you’re corrupting the young one!” Woojin’s voice crackled between them like a lightning strike, Minho jumping away from Jisung and rushing over to the oil pot which was now up in flames. Minho whispered a curse and extended his palm towards the pot, the flames getting absorbed by his palm after he muttered a quick enchantment. He turned to look at Woojin with a sheepish smile, hand rubbing at the back of his neck while Jisung leaned more into the sink as if he was trying to get swallowed by it, cheeks burning red. Woojin laughed at Minho, laughing even harder when he saw the mock offended glare aimed his way by Jeongin, the other most certainly confused as to why he was named young one when he was 278 years old, and why Woojin was talking about being corrupted.

        “Come on, let us help with the popcorn.” Woojin offered, Minho and Jisung nodding rapidly, Jisung going over to Jeongin to whisk him away to help with the snack while Woojin helped Minho with the popcorn. Minho replaced the pot with a wider one and poured a new cup of oil inside, abandoning the other pot in the second sink that they had. Once the oil heated up enough, Woojin pushed Minho away gently and rested his hands over the surface, a millimeter away so he wouldn’t get burned, and he chanted. It took him five seconds, and when he took his hands away, the popcorn was ready and also a variety of colors.

        “Wow, that spell’s really colorful.” Minho said as he peered over Woojin’s shoulder, glee in his eyes.

        “Glad you like it kiddo.”

        Back in the living room, Chan and Hyunjin were shuffling through their box of DVDs, although Hyunjin considered it to be a lost cause because they would all be too busy talking to actually watch the movie.

        “Chan…” Hyunjin began again, trying to convince the other. With a resigned sigh, Chan dropped himself onto the floor and placed the DVDs back. Looking up at Hyunjin, he raised an eyebrow and gestured with his hand.

        “So, what other plan do you have?” Hyunjin tried to keep himself from being too giddy as he ran over to his room, Chan’s eyes following him curiously. When he returned with a thin cardboard box in his hands, Chan got up on his feet faster than he knew was possible, moving away from the board as if it was poison. “No! Not that!”

        “Why not?! I heard that it’s a pretty nice game that we could all enjoy.”

        “Monopoly is not a game that you enjoy, it’s a game that ruins families!” Chan shouted, moving further away from Hyunjin who remained in the middle of the living room, staring dumbfounded at Chan. He couldn’t understand why the other was so reluctant to play. Jihoon had given him the game, saying that they could have fun with it because he no longer wanted to have it for whenever Jihyo and the others visited the common room they stole the board and played, creating a ruckus.

        “DID ANYONE SAY MONOPOLY?” Seungmin shouted from Jeongin’s room, rushing outside to look around from the source spouting the words. Jisung and Jeongin followed from the kitchen as well, both wide eyed. Chan dragged a hand down his face before quickly looking up at their approaching forms. _This is gonna end up badly._ They all surrounded Hyunjin, staring at the board game with wide, curious eyes, while Chan looked at Woojin pleadingly. Someone had to take the board away from them.

        Woojin laughed at the look of despair on Chan’s face, walking over to him. “Relax, it’s just a game.”

        “It’s just a game?! It evil!” Woojin refrained from laughing when he realized just how serious Chan was. He placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed, offering a tentative smile.

        “I’ll be with you, so don’t worry. If something bad happens, I’ll take the board away from them.” Chan stared at the board that was now in Jeongin’s eager hands for a longer time before he looked back up at Woojin, some of the tenseness leaving his body.

        “Alright, let’s try this.” The front door opened, drawing all of their attention there. Felix and Changbin stepped through, hands linked together and bright smiles plastered over red tinted cheeks. Their eyes instantly dropped down to the board, their reactions colliding.

        “Monopoly!” Felix shouted while Changbin frowned deeply, mouth opening to retort something before his eyes met Chan’s.

        “I’m with Chan on this.” Felix looked at Changbin with confusion, whilst Chan ran over to Changbin, engulfing him in a tight hug, victorious smile in place.

        “See! We think alike! I told you Monopoly ruins lives and this guy’s seen it all!” Felix’s mouth opened in shock, staring at Changbin and Chan for their betrayal.

        “How can you say that? It’s a wonderful game!” Felix retorted, looking behind the two when he saw Woojin shake his head with an incredulous smile, muttering something along the lines of _who would’ve thought that a fierce warrior fairy that saw many wars and a hybrid would be afraid of a game about money management._ Felix couldn’t help but agree with Woojin, his smile turning pleading, puppy eyes enrapturing both Fae. “Can we please play?” Felix saw the way Changbin started to reconsider while Chan sighed, defeated. Everyone was straying further from the light and joining the monopoly while he could do nothing.

        “Now then! Seeing as everyone is home, we should lay out the game and bring in the food. Oh, and also shut the lights. Seungmin?”

        “On it.” Hyunjin smiled at Seungmin and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, opening the cardboard box to remove the game from inside and drop it down inside the fort. The lights turned off while Jeongin turned on the Christmas lights and suddenly, everything looked like a painting resembling innocence and pure joy. The golden lights and the pale pink and grey colors of the blankets combined nicely to form a nice ambient fit for a relaxing night in. Felix laughed when he saw Jeongin staring with wide eyes at the fort, a bounce already appearing in his feet. He walked over to the coat rack to abandon his jacket there, grinning at the newfound excitement blooming all over Changbin’s face. He seemed a lot more eager to play than when they arrived.

        “We’ll make a team with Jeongin. What do you say?”

        “Agreed. Jeonginnie seems to have quite the sneaky hand.” Changbin remarked, straightening his sweater and ruffling his hair now that it was out of his beanie. Felix shook his head, trying to look stern.

        “Hey, no cheating! Although it’s Monopoly.” Jeongin would surely try to cheat, just for the fun of it and to see Seungmin lose it. Apparently, Seungmin really didn’t like it when someone cheated and got really red, and that seemed really funny to Jeongin, so he couldn’t wait to see that happen.

        “Everyone, ready?!” Hyunjin shouted from the living room, urging Felix and Changbin to hurry over. They did so, going over to the living room, Felix stopping along the way to help Jisung and Minho with the food. He marveled at the way the fort was built, remembering the young years when he and Chan were little and at his house, building forts so they could pretend they were in another world. They traveled every night somewhere else through the stories that they told, and their imagination knew no bounds.

        Settling down next to the low table, Felix crossed his legs and looked at the laid out Monopoly board. When he realized that he wasn’t sitting at a comfortable distance for his hands, he dragged himself closer, settling with his chin in his palm, looking around for the others as they settled down as well. Hyunjin looked so excited, there were specks of blue in his eyes. He was glad that Changbin was too busy staring at the jail cell square.

        “Been there a lot?” He inquired, leaning in closer to Changbin, not wanting to speak too loud. Changbin’s eyes flitted over to his, huff passing over his lips.

        “Yeah. I have bad luck with the jail in Monopoly. Which is why I don’t like the game. I always got stuck there several times during a game.” Felix’s attention was drawn to Shiaj all of a sudden, who flew quickly above their heads without being noticed by Changbin, and headed into the hall from where he opened a circle into the wall, revealing Lila and the other pixies gathered around what looked like a spread out bed for all of them. The inside was big enough to hold a disco ball above their heads that twisted continuously, lighting the small room in a myriad of colors, the sheets spread on the ground a maroon satin, while the pillows ranged from white, to dark green, to light blue and violet. The others grinned when they saw Shiaj, urging him inside, Yrys holding a suspicious bottle in her hands. Shiaj sensed Felix’s gaze on him and he quickly turned to look at him, winking before Pheeya grabbed him by the hand and dragged him in forcefully, the circle closing behind him. Felix turned back to look at Changbin, the whole encounter taking nothing more than a few second, answering that what he’d said.

        “Well then, I’ll try to get break from the jail cards and hand them to you.” Felix remarked with a grin, winking at Changbin while the other’s lips parted in shock.

        “You? Cheating? But I thought you said something else back in the hall.” Felix met gazes with Jeongin who nodded and smiled.

        “I know. Remember how Jeongin was caught cheating at poker? I wasn’t caught.” Changbin hit Felix in the shoulder while the other started to laugh at Changbin’s betrayed look, grasping at his shoulder and feigning hurt.

        “Honestly, I can’t believe that I, a considered fox, got caught while this guy, who’s so bad at lying, didn’t.” Jeongin retorted from next to Changbin, arms crossed over his chest. Felix cooed and leaned over Changbin to reach Jeongin’s cheeks, squishing them and laughing because _hey, you know we make a perfect team when it comes to cheating together._ Jeongin couldn’t help but agree.

        “I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Monopoly, so we’ll go through the way it plays out. Everyone will receive $1500, pick a token to settle it on the “GO” square and roll the dice to move forward the squares. Every time you round the board and pass the “GO” sign again the banker will hand you $200. If you land on a property, you can either buy it and if it’s been bought already, you pay rent. If you fall on a Community Chest or a Chance square, you can either win money and advance forward on the squares, lose money, go to jail, or get out of jail. Which brings me to it; if you land on the jail square, you only stay in the “Just Passing” part and then you can move forward, but if you’re caught doing something or you get a bad card, you’re sent to jail. To get out, you must pay $50 bail fee, or use a card. Now, we need a banker. Who wants to play the banker?” Hyunjin inquired, looking around the table. Minho slowly raised his hand, everyone turning to look at him. For a second, Minho thought they would refuse, because they all knew how much Minho liked to mess with board games to make things stressing and all the more fun because it always ensued with teams forming and fighting and arguing for justice, which amused him immensely, but then they nodded, eerily in sync.

        “What do you say about making teams? This way we could have more money to play with and also maybe more fun?” Felix suggested, knowing that playing like that would boost the chance of taking Chan out of his ‘monopoly ruins families’ area. Hyunjin considered Felix’s offer for a few moments before he nodded and announced that he would be teaming up with Chan and Woojin, because he wanted to play against Seungmin. Seungmin took the challenge on and went into Minho’s and Jisung’s team, and soon they were playing.

****

        “Is it my turn?” Changbin asked after studying the card that Jeongin got just after half an hour of playing. He’d been too focused on the beautiful break from jail card. He was so focused that he didn’t realize that Chan and Seungmin had rolled the dice and that it was now his turn.

       “Yeah. Here, take the dice.” Minho handed him the dice, Changbin holding it in between his fingers lightly to roll it around before dropping it onto the board. He moved his token five squares and reached a Community Chest, his hope diminishing. He could already feel what was coming.

        _You’ve been caught parking in the wrong place. Go to the jail and wait two turns or pay $50 bail fee._

Instead of cursing at the game, Changbin grinned as Jeongin handed in the card to him, which he used to get out of jail. Despite them playing as a team, one of them could get into, let’s say, jail, and the other from his team was not allowed to bail him out. They only bought stuff and paid off fees together but other than that? Hyunjin deemed it better for them to play on their own. Minho watched him with suspicious eyes but he said nothing. Seungmin was straight out staring at him. Did he catch him cheating? Nope, he was still a normal shade of lightly flushed from the agitation of handling money, and not red in the face.

        When Jisung rolled the dice, he landed on one of Hyunjin’s properties, the other beaming instantly. “Pay up, sucker! $500.”

        “Aw man, my money!” Jisung pouted and handed in the money to Hyunjin, who already had a monopoly. Chan laughed from beside Hyunjin, reaching out for the money and taking them, high fiving Hyunjin and Woojin. For someone that thought Monopoly was a bad game, Chan was on second place on the hierarchy of who was richer.

        Hyunjin was first, Felix third and Minho fourth, while the others struggled with their finances. Woojin was close to going bankrupt and only because he’d had the bad luck of falling into Felix’s hotel, two times in a row. Apparently, while Hyunjin had the most money, Felix had spread across the board, just like Chan, earning a lot of money through rents.

        Only fifteen minutes later, Jisung, Seungmin, Woojin, Jeongin and Changbin were all bankrupt, and the battle was ongoing between Hyunjin, Chan, Felix and Minho. Changbin had made it his duty to encourage Felix to win, and the other’s took after him and they were soon enough shouting and cheering whenever something happened, or fighting because someone either stole or cheated. It got pretty heated at one point, Seungmin and Changbin getting into a pretty strong argument when Felix stepped onto Hyunjin’s property, but then moved because he counted the squares wrong. Seungmin claimed that he wanted to avoid paying rent so he lied, while Changbin defended Felix. Everyone else stopped to watch the two, and when Hyunjin saw that Seungmin was getting red in the face, because he was certain Felix cheated, Hyunjin pulled him back with a laugh and grabbed the money gun from beside him, which had been in the bag with the monopoly box, and shot Seungmin in the face. Money sprouted everywhere, covering the fort and the players.

        “Hyunjin wins!” Hyunjin shouted, dragging Seungmin down by his wrist harshly, making him fall into his lap so he could tickle him. Everyone started to play with the still falling money, laughing out loud. Chan stared from Seungmin to Changbin, shaking his head because he _knew_ something like that would happen, but he couldn’t help but feel happy that he agreed to play. It _was_ fun.

        “See, I told you you’ll have fun.” Woojin retorted as he came to stand next to Chan, grinning victoriously at him as he watched his family play around. Chan huffed and pretended not to have been smiling up till then, staring at Woojin.

        “No I didn’t. Seungmin and Changbin almost ripped their throats out.”

        “…which was fun to watch.” Woojin continued, watching as Chan’s front cracked and he started to laugh, remembering the way Seungmin got all red just the way a character from a cartoon would, ready to explode. Literally.

        “Yeah! It was! I admit! There, happy?!”

        “Very!” Woojin responded, throwing his arms around Chan in a tight hug so he could sway them around until they almost fell from stumbling around. They laughed together, Chan grasping at the front of Woojin’s shirt, hiding his face in it as his shoulders shook with laughter. Woojin propped his chin atop his head, grinning widely.

        When Chan stopped laughing to breathe, he looked up at Woojin, a pretty flush on his cheeks.  Woojin felt as though his heart skipped a beat, the breath getting knocked out of him as he took in the smile plastered on Chan’s soft lips, the light in his eyes and the way he looked so cute with his hair curly and fluffed up. Woojin’s eyes settled on his lips, making Chan exhale a soft _oh_ before he grinned dashingly, hands coming atop the other’s shoulders, fingers playing with the collar of his shirt.

        At the same time as his hands traveled down to the other’s waist, Woojin leaned down and pressed his lips against Chan’s, humming when he felt Chan tightening his grasp on his shoulders. The other leaned up a bit and stepped closer to Woojin’s body, finding happiness and calmness in the familiarity of kissing and holding him so closely in his arms. That very happiness and calmness contrasted so much with the rush of adrenaline and exhilaration that ran through his body as he felt Woojin nipping softly at his bottom lip. Chan brought his hands upwards to run them through Woojin’s soft locks.

        “Red alert, Parent PDA! GOTTA GO FAST!” Minho shouted, pushing everyone out of the living room with a mad grin. Chan and Woojin broke apart to look at the gang as they broke apart, all of them running in every direction that they could, dispersing like magnets opposing each other with great strength, some gluing together. Woojin laughed shortly, his eyes wide with surprise at what’d happened, before he leaned down quickly and attacked Chan’s cheek with a kiss before he started to tickle him, wanting to see that pretty blush again that came from laughing for too much. Chan wiggled away from Woojin with no real fight, laughing and struggling to grab a hold of Woojin’s fingers.

        Yeah, he had to admit. Playing Monopoly turned out to be better that what he’d expected.


	43. Spirit infusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guysss^^ I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Love you all so much, please stay safe and healthy <3 
> 
> Ps: I'm saddened to say that i won't be able to upload next week, at all. It's because i have a chemistry exam on saturday and i need to be thorough with the preparation for it, so i won't have any time to spare. I hope you won't be upset and know that the next chapter will have really interesting things happening;)  
> So long, lots of love ^0^

_He felt as though his body was made out of thin air. Experiences of going under were always weird, tugging at the ends of his conscience. It almost felt as if he was being carried through different planes of existence. Going under involved him travelling through many planes of existence, one of the sleeping, one of the darkness and then the real surface. He wasn’t strong enough to choose with precision where he would go._

_One second he was lost through the alleys of Seoul before he emerged in a thick forest with darkened leaves and plush grass that he could barely sense against his naked skin. He felt shivers racking through his body, the short garments doing nothing against the coldness._

_Yedam started to wander through the dark and cold forest, forward and through the dead leaves, his skin crawling at the sight of dark pools of liquid. He couldn’t tell whether they were puddles of water or dark blood. Yedam tore his gaze away and continued down through the forest until he reached a meadow. Inside it, Yedam couldn’t really tell who was lying on the plump grass, but as he got closer, he was forced to stop shortly of stepping upon the beautiful flowers that seemed to circle around the Fae. Yedam looked up, his eyes widening when he realized that the Fae resting among the Lilium iridollae was a woman, her dark tresses flowing around her as she slept peacefully, her hands gathered atop her stomach, a royal dress loosely dressing her body, a male resting at her head with his hands on her cheeks, crying, the tears falling onto the Lilium iridollae flower crown that rested atop her head. The man had horns and slightly darkened skin, leathery black wings laying boneless against his back, almost as if in defeat. His head hung low, his shoulders falling and rising with each breath that he took. Just when he thought that the man would raise his head and look right at him, something pulled him behind a tree, a tender hand wrapping around his wrist. He looked up only to see the very woman that had been resting in the circle, in front of him, her figure translucent. He looked back to the circle only to see the male looking down again, his blue eyes now open and filled with love as he looked at the sleeping Fae, his sclera black. How could she be in two places?_

_“Look at me dear, don’t worry. You are under, so it makes it easy for me to reach your conscience; what it is that you see right now is merely my own conscience, whilst that is my astral body. They can sit apart as long as I’m close.”_

_“Who are you?” Yedam questioned, his eyes filling with tears against his wish. He felt pain wherever the woman’s skin touched his, pain that affected his soul rather than his body. She took her hand off, almost as if she could read his mind._

_“I apologize, I must’ve been making a connection between you and him without meaning to. You must go, before he sees you. It’s not that he would do something to you, his heart is too gentle for that, but he would be upset should he see you here.” Yedam’s question avoided, the woman looked back at the male, her eyes saddened._

_“Why do you not talk with him?” She looked back at Yedam, her translucent body flickering, along with the light in her eyes._

_“I cannot. I am still alive whilst he’s not. The only reason the two of us can communicate is because you are alive as well. Now go, you must.” The woman pushed him to the right of the tree, hands strong and determined._

_As Yedam felt his body be taken away by foggy tendrils, he thought he heard the male’s voice, deep and rough from crying. **Why must my lover be trapped in here and my son hunt down. When will we be free…**_

_Yedam traveled again, ripped away from the cries of the male and the saddened eyes of the woman, and into another world, another place. He barely recovered from what he felt, before he was met with something else, something more dangerous._

_This time, he was in a house, worn down and rusty, mold covering several pieces of furniture, looking as though death itself had passed through. Inside rested a demon, it’s body black and covered with a flimsy piece of clothing that looked worn down and dirty. It seemed almost as though he was waiting for someone, his red eyes fearful. Yedam walked over to one of the corners, hiding just in case. After minutes of waiting for something to happen, the front door was banged open, the piece of wood now barely hanging from the metal hinges. A strong, dark aura filled the room almost instantly, making it hard for Yedam to breathe, despite his tribal ancestry. He watched carefully as a tall demon, more powerful than the other, trudged inside, his eyes fierce and unforgiving. The demon cowered at his feet, asking for forgiveness, before the other kicked him in the face, sending him away and walking forward to sit down. The demon looked strong, his body muscly and fit, the skin a blue grey, his eyes completely black. He had horns growing as tall as a deer’s, several collaterals spreading from them. His ears were sharpened, the left one missing a bit from the tip. His teeth, as sharp as razors, were visible whenever he opened his mouth to breathe in deeply. His upper canines were elongated and equally as sharp, poking out from his lips by two centimeters._

_**“I’ve lost all traces of dear Azurblau and here you are, uttering useless words, saying that the second in command had a son. Do you think I would believe that with no evidence? Rumors are punishable by eternal doom if you didn’t know. What stops me from killing you on spot?”** Yedam heard the stronger demon talk, his eyes piercing the ones of the lower demon. Yedam felt a powerful shiver going down his body, telling him that something was wrong._

_**“My lord, it’s not only a rumor. You’ve been searching for the one that you’ve heard was involved with the traitor and his lowly mate, not knowing who you were actually searching for. It was the woman who helped give birth to the one who will be your archenemy. The son of the second. I know what I’m talking about.”** The lowly demon crawled over to the other, bowing deeply and waiting in silence._

_**“I need more proof to believe such a thing. Find the woman before I kill you.”** The demon nodded quickly and fled the room as fast as possible. Yedam watched as the greater demon, or was it a general, started looking around the room almost as soon as the demon was out of his sight. Yedam unknowingly stood straighter to see better the markings on the demon’s robes, his eyes widening when he saw the mark of the second demon general on his robes. Yedam knew that the second general was dead so how was that possible? Unless…it was the third in command in his place._

_Yedam looked up just as the third in command roared, his eyes fixated upon Yedam’s form. **Shit.** Yedam cursed in his mind, remembering that greater demons could see him in the Dark Realm while he was under. He moved backwards just as the third in command started to move towards him, panic blooming in his chest. How would he get out now?! He kept on putting more distance between him and the demon, realizing only then that he was walking through the wall. He came to a hall, where several demons stopped walking around to stare at him. Claws gripped him from behind and Yedam screamed, thinking that it was the end._

_He felt his body rising and going through the ceiling, something, or rather someone, whisking him away. When he looked up, he felt himself smiling widely. “Mitzpa!” The creature looked down at Yedam, smiling in his own way. Yedam sighed in relief, the pressure of the claws on his shoulder no longer feeling like a threat. Mitzpa was his guardian, someone that was meant to protect him whenever he went under. Sangvines rarely proceeded with such rituals, because they deemed it dangerous, but Yedam loved doing it despite the dangers. Why? Because he knew that Mitzpa would always have his back. Mitzpa was one of the souls that lived in between, protecting those that went under._

_Yedam watched as he was whisked away from the Dark Realm, not really seeing anything underneath because it was too dark. Despite going under for so many times when he was younger, he rarely got to travel to the Dark Realm, and whenever he did, he didn’t get to see the outside, only interiors where he would surface. He should stop being as careless as to travel with his soul there._

_Mitzpa carried him away, and as they crossed a border, his surroundings melted away until he was back in Seoul among the streets. He looked around for his companion, but it was nowhere to be seen. He’d probably deemed it safe for Yedam to wander on his own again. He trailed down the paths, slightly less agitated than how he’d been before he’d gone under. It was as though he was supposed to see and hear all of that, before he could be free of the feeling that something would go wrong. Despite all that, the feeling was still there, only a bit lessened. He didn’t even know what he saw in that forest and in the Dark Realm. Who was that woman and the male? Who was the third in command and Azurblau? He had no idea…_

_Voices rebounded off of the walls of the surrounding alleys, stopping Yedam in his place. He listened in, shocked to realize that he was quite close to the university and the voices belonged to demons._

_**“Is that it?”** They were all lowly demons, so Yedam didn’t have to worry about himself being seen. He looked at where the demon was pointing, eyes widening when he realized that they were pointing to the university. _

_**“That’s it. There’re a lot of Fae there. We could feast since there’s no one defending it.”** Yedam shook his head at the ignorance of the demons. It bewildered him that they didn’t know that Krey was the headmaster of the university. How could it be so? Yedam didn’t doubt that Krey could easily defend the university, but he needed to know as fast as possible to be aware of everything. Yedam threw one last glance at the demons before he started to whistle, his surroundings turning dark._

Back in his room, Yedam’s woke up, body tensing up and jumping away from the floor, the runes that had been smudged onto his body now red patches that were slowly being absorbed into his skin. He breathed rapidly, his red eyes running over the circles, trying to remember everything that he saw. He was in a haze for a minute, his breathing slowly going back to normal. His skin felt sweaty, his entire body hurting as though he’d been walking for hours.

        When everything came back to him, Yedam’s eyes widened, muscles tensing up again as he grabbed the robe from the bed and tied it around his body, rushing through the door to warn Krey of the impending attack.

****

        While the others had wandered off to the kitchen for a while before retreating to the fort again, Woojin and Chan remained in Chan’s room, rummaging through one of his boxes in an attempt to find another board game that they could play.

       They both felt the energy wave breaking at the same time.

        Jeongin rushed into the hall at the same time as they did, the others following as well.

        “Something happened. I felt-“ When Jeongin saw that Changbin had approached as well, he quickly changed what he was going to say. “-my phone vibrate with a message from the headmaster calling us out in the campus to talk. We better go.” Chan shared a look with Jeongin. He needed to think of what had happened and of how to make Changbin remain behind, or maybe distract him long enough to cast a spell so he would not see anything magical.

        His worry proved useless when another wave went off. Something was happening and they couldn’t waste any time to ponder over things. Unbeknownst to them all, Changbin felt it as well. He frowned, wondering about what he was feeling and why the others were getting agitated and worried as well. He followed them out into the hall, Chan and Woojin at the front. Just as he was about to reach the opening to the veranda, he felt something whizzing by his ear.

        Felix had only seconds to realize what was to happen: Shiaj ran back from the direction in which they were going, shouting something at Lila in high pitch before Lila was flying towards Changbin, her wings hitting him straight in the eyes, pixie dust flying everywhere. It all happened in slow motion before Felix’s widened eyes, his steps faltering. The others were already way ahead, Felix being the only one to hear and feel Changbin’s cry of pain.

        Felix rushed over to Changbin with a hiss at the two pixies and crouched down just as the other lowered himself to his knees, holding his face, the backs of his palms pressed against his eyes. Felix pressed his fingers in the other’s shoulders, leaning in and trying to understand what had happened.

        “My eyes…they hurt, I can’t see clearly!” Changbin shouted with frustration, removing his palms to blink before pressing them harder against his eyes. Felix took his hands away, his own fingers prodding around the other’s eyes, pulling the lids apart to take a look at his iris and sclera. A white, thin layer was spread across them, the thin layer resembling the ones reptiles and dragons had for protection. Felix looked up and glared at both Lila and Shiaj, knowing that it was their magic that had done this to his mate. A voice at the back of his mind tried to reason with him, telling him that Changbin was not supposed to see anything magical in case his seal broke, but it was hard to listen to that voice when his mate was crying in pain and panic. Lila at least had the decency to look regretful, whilst Shiaj looked ready to dare Felix to challenge his judgment.

        “Is there something wrong with them? Is there something in them? Please tell me.” Changbin inquired in a strained voice, making Felix realize that he’d been sitting there, tense and glaring at Lila and Shiaj, in the end worrying Changbin. He placed his hands on his cheeks, thumbs gliding across his cheekbones.

        “No, there’s nothing. It could be that something entered your eyes and I cannot see it.” Changbin breathed a shaky sigh and leaned forward, closing his eyes and hiding his face in Felix’s shoulder. Felix glanced back towards the mouth of the hall, the others long gone from their sight. He could hear suspicious sounds of a fight unraveling, tensing him up.

        “The light hurts.” Changbin muttered as an explanation, Felix instantly raising his arms to wrap them around Changbin to protect him from the hall light. He breathed in deeply, trying to quench his anger at the pixies. They’d only done this to protect Changbin. For a second, Felix thought he heard Chan in his mind giving a command, but it was gone just as fast.

        “Come on, we need to clean your eyes with water to get whatever is in them out.” Felix muttered gently after a few moments, helping Changbin up and back to the apartment while the other kept his eyes shut. They needed to get back inside just in case something dangerous was happening outside. If things became bad, Chan would call him through the bond. It pleased Felix that Changbin trusted him enough to guide him without allowing him to hit anything, the other’s hand relaxed in his.

        When they reached the bathroom, Felix made sure that Changbin’s eyes were still closed before he reached for the tap and wrapped his fingers around it, his eyes flashing golden with specks of red as he enchanted the water. He grasped Changbin’s hand again and brought him closer to the sink, telling him to open his eyes and to clean them with water, guiding his hands towards the faucet. Changbin hovered over the sink and cupped his hands together to gather water before splashing it over his eyes, rubbing at them thoroughly but gently. After doing this for at least three times, Changbin straightened his back and reached for the towel that he somehow sensed Felix was holding, drying his face.

        Changbin lowered the towel and opened his eyes slowly, his body relaxing even more as he realized that his sight was slowly returning back to normal, Felix’s image becoming clearer by the second. The light in the bathroom was so dim, Changbin could barely see around.

        Felix felt breathless. When Changbin opened his eyes, they were no longer their usual warm brown, but a strikingly blue color, the hues alive in his eyes surrounded by blackness. Felix felt mesmerized by them, his heart skipping several beats at how beautiful and unique his mate’s eyes were, his hand levitating towards Changbin’s cheek almost as if on its own. Changbin frowned when he could see clearly Felix’s amazement, confusion spreading through his body.

        “Felix…?” Changbin inquired, breaking the other out of his haze. Felix simply smiled and stepped closer to the other, placing his arms around him in a soft hug, hiding his face in the other’s neck.

        “Your eyes are alright now?”

        “Yeah.” Changbin breathed out, hugging Felix close to him.

****

        Outside, Chan and the others were frozen on the veranda, the sight before them something they’d never expected to see at the university: Krey was covered in dark blood, Mina retreated a few steps back with her hounds surrounding her. She had a wound on her left bicep, her hair disheveled, clothes darkened with patches of blood here and there. Krey breathed heavily as the last two demons collapsed onto the ground and melted into puddles, disappearing among the sea of demons that had died by his and Mina’s hands. More than the sight of it all, the fact that the fight was gone before they could even think of joining surprised them all. Krey really was powerful. Chan quickly recovered and ran over to Krey, barely avoiding stepping into the puddles of black blood. Mina was tending to her hounds now that the threat was gone, tendrils from her energy sprouting from her hands and enveloping them in a warm golden hue.

        “Krey! What happened?!” Krey looked up as he heard the heavy footsteps, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Chan and the others. He wouldn’t want to deal with curious humans just after his home was attacked. He brushed his forehead with his sleeve, wiping away the sweat and dirt.

        “An attack. Apparently, these demons had no idea that the university was ruled by a strong Fae so they thought it was a good idea to attack.”

        “How do you know that?”

        “Yedam. He had a vision and ran to me as fast as possible. I was ready to take them all out in a few moments because of his warning.” Chan’s eyes widened. He felt a surge of happiness, knowing that Yedam had done all that, but he also felt worry. How could Yedam have visions when he was only a tribal fairy? He hoped that the young Sangvine was not meddling with infusions of the spirit.

        “This is really hard to understand. How could there be demons that would not know of you owning this university?” Seungmin questioned from beside Minho, his energy still buzzing underneath his skin, reptilian eyes jumping instantly over to regard the hound that ran away from Mina only to jump in the black puddles. From the look on her face, she was used to it. Seungmin had been ready to fight when he felt the demons.

        “It’s actually not that impossible. I tried to hide from both demons and Fae alike. I guess those demons had no idea that strong wards came from strong Fae. Foolish mistake to make for beginners.”

        “You mean to say that those were recently turned demons?” They all felt cold shivers traveling down their spines. More of their kin had been murdered.

        “Unfortunately, yes. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have attacked. Something must’ve triggered all of the demons to hunt more.” Krey stared for longer than necessary at the gates before he turned around to check on Mina. “Are you alright? I was one of them scraping your arm.”

        “I’m fine Krey. I’m sure Jeonginnie could help heal this in no time.” From the side Jeongin instantly nodded, his worry visible in his foxy green eyes. “We need to think how to deal with this. What if there will be more demons newly turned? It can turn into a huge problem really fast.” Mina continued, staring at Krey. The Kitsune sighed heavily and turned around to look at the others, his eyes regretful.

        “I know you won’t like this, but I’ll have to place the university under a strong ward with a curfew. There will be guards watching the place as well, until I’m certain enough that it’s safe again. I cannot risk the lives of you and my students.” They all nodded solemnly, despite disagreeing with the curfew. There had been several moments when they’d had to leave the university at night with urgent matters, and with a curfew ward, they would not be able to do so. From beside him, Minho saw Jisung worry his lower lip, deep in thought. He nudged his shoulder, Jisung looking up in surprise. He shook his head and focused back on Krey, urging Minho to do the same.

        Krey looked one last time at Mina before he walked over to the edge of the campus in front of the gates on the left where the ground was bare of grass, the fallen leaves moving aside as he stepped closer to the patch of earth. He knelt down just as he reached it, burying his fingers into the soil and beginning to chant, his eyes going white, the veins on his arms turning blue and pulsating with energy.

        They all watched as Krey chanted, shifted in his half-form, his eyes now closed. It felt as though time stopped when Krey finished the enchantment, the ground bellowing and pulsating once with life before a green hued ward started to surround the university, specks of golden and silver shining in the night light. When the circle was completed, the ward disappeared into the night. They all knew that it was there, just no longer visible.

        “Until when are we allowed to come back?” Minho questioned as Jeongin and Mina walked over to Krey to help him up, the spell having taken a lot out of him. Jeongin rushed over to help him as well, Krey smiling thankfully at him and lazily ruffling his hair, fingers surprisingly clean of dirt. The eldest took a few moments before he could answer.

        “I guess at dusk. The demons become stronger after the sun falls, so it’s best you’re back before then.” Minho and Seungmin couldn’t help but think that Siege would now have to change the time of closing the café. They couldn’t even imagine how he would react to that.

        “Here, let me.” Hyunjin heard Jeongin mutter as he walked around Krey and closer to Mina, opening the cuff of her dress shirt to ride it up to her shoulder so he could take a look at her wound. He pressed his palms over the shallow cut and closed his eyes, his lips moving as a golden green light escaped through his fingers. When he removed his hands, the cut was no longer there, the skin completely healed. Mina smiled at him warmly and ruffled his hair as a sign of affection, thanking him and praising him on his healing spells, knowing that he’d been practicing them. Jeongin grinned and nodded at her, dragging her cuff back down and closing the buttons.

        Hyunjin really couldn’t get why there was still a bad aura around the campus, his stomach tightening at the thought of something else happening and taking them by surprise. What if it had been a stronger group and Yedam wouldn’t have been able to see it coming? Without even realizing it, he started to wander off in the direction of the greenhouse, needing some time to breathe and think. Seungmin, noticing the other go, followed after. He could understand that Hyunjin needed time alone, but right now, it wasn’t safe. He didn’t want the other to be alone, despite having trust in Krey’s wards. His dragon side wouldn’t allow it.

        “I’m sorry that demons had to disturb you this late into the night.” Krey apologized, looking sheepish all of a sudden. Jisung walked forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him.

“Hey, we’re Fae, we’re warriors. Fighting demons is our job.”

“I know that, but I wanted this place to be like a safe haven for the exiled Fae that resided in the human realm, and having an attack this close makes me feel as if I failed.”

        “You definitely didn’t fail, Krey.” It was Jeongin who spoke this time, his eyes serious. “You’re always protecting us. You did so just now. That’s far from failing. I hope you know that we’ll also always help, no matter what.” Krey’s mouth opened in surprise. The determination and pure strength in Jeongin’s eyes was something he’d longed to see and after so many days of training, it was finally starting to surface. Jeongin was slowly becoming more the warrior that he truly was.

        “Thank you Jeongin.” Jeongin nodded at him and went ahead to the hounds, surprising Mina when one of them walked over to him as well, barking softly and wagging his furry tail, circling around a laughing Jeongin. “Chan.” Krey interrupted, his voice gentle. Chan looked over to him, eyebrow rising in question. “Would you please come to my office with me? I have something that I wish to tell you.”  Chan nodded, turning to Woojin and staring into his eyes, Woojin instantly nodding and looping his arm around Jisung’s, tugging him towards the dorms.

        “Let’s go kids, time to sleep.” Chan and Krey stifled their laughter as the others started to complain, saying something along the lines of ‘But mom’ in a really whiny voice. Mina shook her head at their antics, grabbing a hold of the invisible leash and guiding her hounds inside. She wouldn’t allow them to roam free until the night passed.

****

        When Woojin wasn’t paying enough attention, Jisung slipped away, pulling Minho with him. Seeing as he hadn’t been actually watching Jisung, Minho stumbled through the hall, nearly stepping over Jisung’s foot. Jisung refrained from laughing and slapped a hand over Minho’s mouth to stifle his surprised shout. He pressed Minho closer to the wall and peeked around it, pleased to see that Woojin and Jeongin were walking calmly towards the dorms, uninterrupted.

        “Didn’t know you were so forward.” Minho teased, leaning close to Jisung’s ear, his warm breath tickling Jisung. With a pointed look, Jisung pinched Minho’s nose, stepping away.

        “I’m not.” When Minho continued to eye him with mischievous eyes, Jisung continued. “I plan on finding a way to break past curfew. Coming or not?”

        “If you give me a kiss.”

        “There, now will you come?”

        “As if I would leave you alone, at night, after an attack like that. Of course I’ll come.”

        “That’s what I was thinking.” Jisung tangled their hands together and started through the halls, knowing that it was easier to reach the library that way rather than go through the campus.

        “And how do you plan on sneaking past a curfew ward? That surrounds the entire university?” Jisung looked at Minho, his eyes glinting wonderfully in the pale moonlight.

        “I read an article in a book somewhere in September about how there should be tunnels underneath the school, and that a puzzle leads to them. Although, they wrote that it’s a myth, I’m certain it’s real.”

        “Back in September…when we met in the library and you were reading that big ass book?” Minho’s eyes widened in recognition, a grin blooming on his face at the rosiness of Jisung’s cheeks.

        “Yeah, then, and it wasn’t that big.” Jisung's comment was gold, and Minho couldn't pass it.

        “Heh.”

        “Shut up, you pervert!” Minho's booming laughter bounced off of the stony walls, Jisung punching him in the shoulder, his cheeks redder than a tomato. 


	44. Into the past, part I: Initiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, i know...i went dead for 3 weeks and i'm truly sorry about that, but when life spirals out of control, you're the one grasping at the tendrils. I'm alright now, and am here with a humble 12k update which is a first part out of a three part lost page, one that i had said would post from a long time, but here i am now, with Minho's past. I really hope that you'll like it and that you'll forgive me for the wait^^ Love you all and stay safe. Enjoy reading~  
> PS: unbeta-ed, so there might be mistakes. I apologize ahead for those xD

**_800 years prior to the main timeline_ **

**_Location: Fairy Realm_ **

**_Year 1366_ **

**_Minho: 8 years old_ **

****

        Shamans. They're a powerful class of warriors that can master more than one element. They are stronger than the average fairy but they're not as strong as a tribal one. The majority of them lived along the Arver River where most of the fairy population lived.  
  
        Minho lived near the Crystal Caverns. It was the place where his father met his mother and where they decided they would raise their son. The Crystal Caverns were one the most beautiful locations in the Fairy realm besides the Silver Forest and the colorful Feory Grounds. They ran for miles underneath the surface, the interiors tall, walls covered completely in crystals of all colors. Bright whites and deep blues and sharp reds and greens, they all illuminated the entire ground inside, the natural light similar to that of an aurora borealis from the human North Pole.  
  
        Minho loved playing in those caverns. He could always sense just how powerful the crystals were and how much the caverns wanted him to be there, amongst their energies. His small legs always carried him through the same path, down the hill from his house, up through the forest of sharp trees and lively plants, and to the right where the biggest entrance to the caverns resided. The entrance was beautiful, carvings made with ceremonial tools and paintings made completely with the use of their natural paints decorating it, the rock on the surface so smooth Minho always glided down until he reached the sturdy floor.  
  
        The caverns felt as if they were alive to Minho. If he knocked onto the hollow floor, someone would knock back. If he started to sing along the corridors that were filled with light, his voice would bounce off of the walls, light vibrating with the intensity of his voice. It was the perfect place where he could go to be at ease and play.  
  
        He was yet again playing inside the caverns, singing a low tune and jumping from higher rock to lower rock, eyes bright with joy. From time to time, he crouched down in order to reach one of the crystals, brushing the pads of his thumbs gently over them, forehead pressing against the warmth, eyes closing. He felt energy in the form of tendrils sprouting from the crystal, enveloping him in a soft warm glow, his skin tingling.  
  
        “Minho!” A deeper voice from outside ruptured his dream-like state, startling Minho awake. When did he fall asleep? As he struggled to regain control over his numbed body, Minho felt something similar to hands helping him up. He turned around, ready to greet his father and thank him for helping him up, only to find no one behind him. Frowning, he reached towards the darkness of the caverns, only for a stern hand to coil around his arm to pull him back. “Minho? I told you several times not to wander too far into the caverns.” His father sounded worried, the emotion in his eyes contrasting with the soothing smile on his lips. His father was a strong shaman, a force to be reckoned with, whilst his mother was a nursing fairy, one of the greatest the Fairy Realm had ever seen.

        “I’m sorry father. I wanted to talk with the crystals again.” Minho’s father frowned softly, hand brushing through Minho’s ruffled locks.

        “Remember what I always tell you, son. Never tell anyone about your visits inside the Crystal Caverns.”

        “Of course, father.”

        “Good.” His father replied, before he smiled widely. “Now let’s get out of here. I want to teach you more spells. After all, your tenth birthday is coming soon, in less than two years, and I want you to be as trained as possible.” Minho nodded rapidly, his small fingers curling around his father’s hand, feet rushing across the ground, basically dragging his father out. Nothing could ever beat Minho’s desire for knowledge.

        The sun was warm and bright, the green hues reflecting off of the luscious leaves attached to intimidatingly tall trees, the flutter of wings close nearby, the rush of the Arver River reverberating all the way to them.

        They soon reached the meadow where Minho liked to mull over failed spells. There were no trees nearby, only tall bushes with silvery red flowers and golden carnations, thorns and vines curling around the stems, pixie dust coating the lush green surface of the leaves. The scent of red berries and fresh raindrops tainted the air around, filling Minho’s lungs with familiarity. He couldn’t wait to get taller so he could reach the berries on his own.

        “What do you want to practice now? Because I have a lot prepared in the inventory.” His father questioned once they were both seated on the soft grass-covered ground. Minho pretended to be deep in thought, brushing his hands together, brows pulled in a frown.

        “Water spells?” It came off more like an enquire rather than a statement, bringing forth a laugh from the older. With a nod, his father started to talk about water spells again, paragraphs and sentences that were imbedded into Minho’s mind, although he never got bored of listening to them. Not when they came from his father. He loved seeing the way his father’s eyes lit up with joy the more he talked about them, knowing that his son would grow stronger just by knowing everything.

        After the usual thorough introduction, Minho’s father got up and stepped away from Minho, waving his hand in a freeing motion, as if to give Minho reign over his actions. Minho granted, bringing his hands forth so he could conjure the spell.

        With his eyes scrunched shut, Minho started to chant, focusing on his energy, every sound from around him growing dull, the ground beneath him vibrating with energy. Seconds passed by, and when Minho dared to open his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a circle of water dug into ground, not too deep and not too far away from him. He looked up at his father for advice, although his father appeared to have none, for Minho had done a well enough job.

        By the time Minho had mastered said spell, his father had wandered off when he saw one of his clan mates. They were both chatting vividly close to the meadow, the other man who Minho had rarely seen glancing over at him from time to time, a strong fondness visible in his eyes. Minho never understood it, for he was quite young at the time, but whenever someone from a clan gave birth to a child, said child received the love of everyone from the clan, the others acting as much as a father and mother to him as his own parents.

        Seeing as his father would most surely be occupied with his friend for a little longer, Minho saw no harm in attempting a new spell, unsupervised. He closed his eyes, practiced the words in his mind before he uttered them in the silence, his eyes glowing azure yet again, the tips of his fingers reaching down into the soft soil. Just as before, he could feel the energy vibrating, reaching out and connecting to him, before he felt his nose twitch with the need to sneeze, the urge so strong he ended up being unable to contain himself. Suddenly, the ground underneath him turned watery, clothes soaking through. He grew out of balance, body tipping forwards so much that he ended up face-planting into the mud-puddle. He could hear the distinct laughter of the two males piercing through the meadow, urging a whine to rupture from his throat, cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

        “Minho, how many times did I tell you to not try new spells unsupervised?” Minho could still hear his father’s laughter in his voice, making him pout even more. The other Fae approached as well and crouched down in front of him, smiling warmly at him.

        “Kyko, I know you said that he’s cute, but this is far from that. He’s adorable.” Kyko puffed out his chest, overjoyed to hear such praise for his child. His friend and clan mate, Kim Woyid, patted him on the shoulder, laughing a little upon noticing the pout being aimed at him this time. “Oh, don’t pout, you should be happy. Children are always cute, but a few are as adorable as you. I still remember the first time I tried water spells. Do you know what happened to me?” Minho frowned, eyes searching the other’s face, shaking his head in the end. Woyid grinned widely and leaned closer, as if he was uttering a secret. Out of curiosity and instinct, Minho did the same. “I collapsed a whole tree through the ground by turning it to water, drenching my instructor, as well as my mother. They were _furious._ ” Minho tried to imagine the scene, but he found it difficult. He couldn’t really do that, since he didn’t know Woyid that well. Seeing this, the other reached out and, before Kyko could protest, placed his index finger on Minho’s temple, showing him the images in quick flashes that were gone in a second, Minho swaying even though he was already kneeling onto the ground. Kyko frowned at Woyid before leaning towards his son to catch him should he fall, but then Minho started to laugh loudly, his azure eyes opening to the sky as he collapsed in his father’s arms, his body shaking slightly with the laughs that bubbled out. Minho’s face was pure joy, the colors and sun from above reflecting in his eyes. Woyid started to laugh as well, pointing an accusing finger at Kyko.

        “See, you had nothing to worry about!” Kyko shook his head, fond gaze sliding from Woyid to Minho. It wasn’t that he was necessarily worried, just that he knew Woyid to be quite the trickster when he wanted to be.

        _Food…_ An alluring voice, soft and smiling, spoke in his mind, making Kyko straighten his back, pulling Minho to stand up as well.     

        “Father?”

        “Come, we should go and get cleaned up. Mom cooked dinner for us so we need to be clean, otherwise she won’t let us in.” Minho laughed at the inside joke, while Woyid reached out to ruffled both of their heads.

        “Go and eat! I’m sure Vivienne made a wonderful meal yet again.”

        “You know you can join us if you want.”

        “I wish to, but the elders need their librarian for the day, so I don’t really have free time. See you both later?” Minho and Kyko nodded as Woyid got up and walked away from the meadow and down the stony pathway, stumbling a little over a spiky rock and mumbling a curse at his inattention.  Kyko laughed from beside Minho, his hand finding his way around his shoulder to guide the both of them towards home. As they walked, Minho began to rub at his face in a poor attempt to clean away the mud. When he could no longer feel it sticking to his face, he patted at his skin in surprise, before looking down at his body to see that he was indeed completely clean. He looked up at his father, but he was suspiciously whistling and looking anywhere but at him.

        “Thank you.” Minho said, poking his father in the ribs when Kyko still pretended that he was innocent. He’d known that Minho was still reluctant to use water spells just after one of them had brought him into his current state of uncleanness.

        They needed only to round the corner and step out of the forest to reach the house, the gravel pathway outlined with flowery bushes, tall spikes with flowers atop rising to form columns of vines and leaves. The house itself was made out of wood from their forest, the silvery surface changing appearance to resemble rosemary wood. It was enough for one of them to touch the walls for the wood to shift to their liking, the compounds from within responding to their energy. The door, a strong piece of smoothed-down stone imbedded with ancient runes of protection, stood sturdily attached to its hinges, the only way of opening it being through their clan energy sigil. They wouldn’t need such a reinforced door if they lived next to the Arver River, but since they lived next to the Crystal Caverns, they were too close to possible gate-holes that could open, meaning that they needed to be prepared for anything.

        Kyko opened the door slowly. He peered inside and pushed Minho through, searching with his eyes for his mate. He grinned once he found her fussing around the kitchen table with her ashen hair tied high up in a knot, her left cheek bearing a smear of green powder. As quietly as possible, he tried to side step Minho and the glass cupboard to reach her and surprise her, but his plan failed, Vivienne briskly turning around and blowing a puff of violet powder his way. Kyko sputtered and waved his arms wildly in an attempt to escape the powder, but it was useless, the dust sticking to his face and in his hair, coating him in a purple shade. With a look sent her way, Vivienne started to laugh, her golden orbs disappearing behind silver coated lids, bright smile stretching her muscles. Kyko huffed and ruffled his hair in an attempt to rid himself of the powder, but it truly was a useless action. Vivienne was still laughing, paying no mind to Kyko as he walked around the kitchen, presumably to get a towel to wipe his face, but then she found two hands pressing against her face, powder flying everywhere.

        “Kyko!” She shouted, making to rush after him, but they both froze as they heard Minho laugh, loud and bright, and when they turned to look at him, Vivienne with golden and blue grains of dust clinging to her cheeks and neck, and Kyko with purple smudged everywhere, Minho started to laugh harder, clutching at his stomach and bending his knees. Kyko and Vivienne shared one look before they ran after Minho with wide smirks and opened arms, ready to envelope him in the powder as well, Minho rushing into the living room with a shout.

****

        Half an hour later, they were all seated at the table, eating from their plates, the powders cleaned up with the help of a dust pixie that took pity in them. It had been awfully hard to rid Minho of the combination of powders that lingered to his body like a second skin. Even now he appeared to have sparkling spots here and there.

        “How did training go?” Vivienne asked, fiddling with how to rest her wings whilst at the table before tugging them into her tattoo so she could rest her back against the chair fully, right leg tucked underneath her left thigh.  Kyko started chewing faster so he could answer, while Minho turned a lovely shade of red, his eyes sparkling azure for a second with the intense emotion of embarrassment at being reminded again of his failure in the water class spells. He wanted his mother to smile at him with pride the way she always did whenever he succeeded at something.

        “It went great! He went listening to the crystals again, and after that, he perfected one of the water spells.” Minho looked in surprise at his father, knowing that he’d ruined that last spell, but then Kyko looked at him and grinned, mind link opening. _You failed that one because you didn’t know how to do it precisely. The other one? You nailed it._ Minho accepted his father’s words, smiling shyly at the way his mother grinned knowingly. Nothing could pass by her.

        “And what spell managed to-“Vivienne’s words got cut off shortly by a creature which flew inside their house through the open window, it’s wings aflame, eyes burning with power and light. Kyko extended his arm with a soft smile, happy that his companion had returned from the scouting trip in which he’d sent him, but to Kyko’s surprise, the phoenix flew over to Minho, settling on his head, wings balanced on either side of his head. The eight year old froze, his spoon raised halfway towards his mouth, eyes wide and curious, maybe even a little frightened. Vivienne looked at her mate quickly, her eyes wide with worry and fear. Kyko was the only one who appeared to be calm, staring in the eyes of the phoenix for several minutes before the creature groaned and got up from Minho, flying away towards the hall and upstairs. Minho breathed a sigh of relief after the phoenix disappeared, his heart starting to calm down. Kyko and Vivienne were both far from calm, Vivienne turning a little red. She couldn’t take her eyes off of her son, her heart constricting in her chest, knowing that he was the same as his father. Kyko heaved a sigh and turned to look at Minho, jumping a little in his seat as he saw the creature’s actions take place in Minho’s eyes, the fiery hue already present and awoken. Minho had a third element.

        “Kyko, maybe…” Vivienne tried to come up with a reason as to why the phoenix came, tried to think of something other than the fact that her son would be having a third element, but she couldn’t think of anything. A knock on their door shocked them, Kyko’s hand instantly settling on Minho’s shoulder, the irrational fear that they’d discovered both him and Minho trying to take over. It didn’t succeed, Kyko quickly getting away from the table to open the door and see who it was, Vivienne urging Minho up from the table, sending him to his room, claiming that he is bound to be tired after all that training and that he should rest.

        Upstairs in his bed, Minho couldn’t help but think about how beautiful the phoenix’s tail was, all long and feathery and… _aflame._ Somewhere deep in his soul, he felt as though he resonated with the creature, just the way he resonated with the earth and waters of the realm.

        Hours later, Minho got up from his bed, bored with trying to sleep only to wake up from hour to hour, not even resting. He tiptoed over to the stairs, feeling the smooth material of puffed leaves tickling his toes. With a silent yawn, Minho started his descent down the stairs, hair a mess and eyes barely opened, when his sensible ears picked up voices. His parents.

        Crouching down behind one of the wooden pillars that framed the stairs, Minho peered in the direction from which he heard the voices, surprised to notice that the living room lights were still on, despite the dark purple sky from outside.

        “Viv, please, have some faith in me.”

      “I do, more than in anyone else, but what if he’s like you? What if they discover him? You know the hunters will come to test him. It’ll be the same way it happened with your grandfather.”

        “What happened with him is an exception. He was careless, and so was his father. I am not, and I won’t allow my son to go through pain like that. He’s smart. He’ll listen.”

        “For our sake I hope you’re right. Should we go wake him up? He’s been sleeping for six hours by now.” Minho did not remain any longer on the stairs out of fear that they would come up and check on him only to find him eavesdropping. They would be upset.

        “Let’s leave him to rest. I’m certain the crystals were a lot more active today than they’ve been in years.”

        “Why do you still allow him to go there? The caverns are known to have killed Fae before, and the crystals drain Fae of powers.”

        “That’s what happens with fairies and changelings, but not with shamans. I…my father told me that I should never tell this to anyone, not even to my mate, but I feel as though it would do no harm to tell you. After the elders came to rule, the deities ran. Some hid, others disappeared back into the nature. One such deity disappeared in the Crystal Caverns, in its depths. It became one with the crystals. I met it. He always defended the shamans who took refuge in there, and drained the Fae. I honestly don’t know why, but it seems as though he likes to empower the shamans who visit the caverns if he finds them to be worthy. I promised my father, who promised to the deity, that I would not tell of it to anyone. You must do the same now.”

        “Is a blood ritual necessary?”

        “Unfortunately.” Vivienne groaned and turned away from Kyko, muttering about how she couldn’t believe him. Kyko smiled sheepishly and approached his mate, passing his arms around her waist in a loving hug.

        “I’m unbelievable, right?”

        “You know what I meant.”

        When the sky turned completely dark, Vivienne left her mate’s side in the kitchen to tend to the bloody mess, while she went to check in on Minho. It would help ease her worries.

        His room was covered in darkness, aside for a corner lit by a bundle of herbs burning with pink flames. The sage and wyvern petals engulfed the room in a sweet scent that seeped into Vivienne’s very essence. She could feel the power that the plants wielded over their kind, knowing just how much one plant could help.

        “Mom?” Minho croaked from the bed. He’d decided to try and go back to sleep after he listened in on his parents, thinking that if he slept he would process everything better. He had no idea what his mother had been talking about earlier, about him being just like his father.

        Vivienne snapped out of her trance, looking over to Minho with a warm smile, crouching beside his bed once she reached him.

        “Hey.” She muttered softly, passing her fingers through his hair softly, brushing his cheekbone tenderly. Minho leaned into her touch, feeling his mind clear of any thoughts. He always knew that he could trust his mother to ease his heart and mind whenever they were heavy with thoughts. “How did you sleep?”

        Minho smiled sleepily. “I hardly slept in the afternoon but I managed to sleep better once it turned dark outside. I kept on tossing around for some weird reason.” It was awful, trying to hide the fact that he’d heard her and his father talk, but it had to be done. He wouldn’t want them to be upset with him.

        “Do you want me to make some tea? It might help you sleep even better.” His mother smiled, eyes trailing over his features with fondness. Minho smiled and extended his hands towards her, fingers wiggling in the air.

        “I would sleep even better if Mommy sat beside me.” With a playful sigh, Vivienne walked around the bed and got in under the thin blanket, wrapping Minho in a warm hug. He buried his face in her stomach, wrapping his arms tightly in return and sighing at the warmth, happy to cuddle with his mother. Vivienne lowered her head and placed a gentle kiss on Minho’s crown before she settled her chin on top of it, closing her eyes.

****

        Several days later, Kyko agreed with Vivienne and revealed to Minho that he had a third element, Kyko adamantly insisting that he must not tell this to anyone else and that he should keep it a secret. Woyid was the only one who learned of the secret as well, seeing as he and Kyko shared an unbreakable mental link that could never be closed, nor blocked. It was their curse for breaking into an ancient temple belonging to the deities uninvited.

        Until Minho’s tenth birthday arrived, his father continued to train him into using fire spells and controlling it, ingraining into his mind that he must never reveal to anyone that he has a third ability, nor use it in front of anyone. Minho, as always, listened carefully to his father, learning everything and respecting every single word.

        When the day for the hunters to come arrived, Kyko remained calm, holding Vivienne’s hand in an attempt to soothe her agitation and worry. It helped, but she couldn’t just push aside the thoughts about Minho being taken in by the hunters and thrown in the prison to face whatever punishment the elders designed.

        They both dreaded the knock on the front door, and when it came, it took Vivienne all that she had to not go over to Minho and grasp his hand tightly to push him behind her and defend him against the hunters. Kyko shared a steeling look with Vivienne before he walked over to the door, opening it with a tight yet polite smile.

        “Good morning, Lee Kyko. We’re here on behalf of the hunters to inspect your son. He’s a shaman, right?”

        “In training, yes.” Kyko stepped aside, waving for Minho to walk over to him. The woman that had knocked on the door smiled kindly at Minho, but Kyko could easily see that she was faking it, the hard lines on her face clearly indicating that she was refraining herself  long enough to discover whether Minho was a regular shaman or not, ready to take him away should he prove to be the latter. Minho regarded her with a guarded expression, looking up at his father one before he smiled politely at the woman. Kyko felt his heart clench at the sight before him, knowing that his son had been forced to mature as fast as possible in the last two years to pass this test, to be capable enough to hide his third element.

        “Step into the clearing with me.” The woman said, her sharp eyes following the way Minho walked, almost as if she would be able to tell just from that that he had a third element. Once Minho reached the clear grass next to their paved alley, the woman straightened her back and stared right at him. “What is your name?”

        Minho straightened his back, leveling his stare with hers, almost as if he was challenging her. It surprised Kyko. He’d never seen Minho act like that.

        “Lee Minho.”

        “What is your current age?”

        “Ten years and one hour old.”

        “What elements do you possess?”

        “Earth and Water.”

        “Do you have a third element?” Silence fell over the courtyard, Minho locked in a staring contest with the woman. He slowly opened his mouth and responded.

        “No, I do not have one.” The woman allowed only a quirk of her brow before she sidestepped one of her own companions and lunged at Minho from another direction, with incredible speed. Kyko didn’t even have time to respond and protect his son, had no time to even understand everything that followed after the woman moved, because one second she was sprinting towards Minho, and the next, she was under a heavy blanket of mud, only her glaringly ebony eyes with light grey hues piercing through.

        “You pass.” She grunted out, freeing herself of the trap Minho unleashed, punching one of her companions in the face when the other started to laugh at her state. Minho remained frozen in place, his eye following the woman as she started down the pathway. She didn’t get too far, because Vivienne was already in front of her, hands reaching out to grasp at the woman’s clothing.

        “Why did you try to attack my son?!” She shouted in the woman’s face, her own twisted with anger. Kyko stared in shock at his mate, never having seen her so consumed by anger. The huntress looked at Vivienne with passive eyes, merely lifting a finger before a spear appeared in her hands, the edge pressing against Vivienne’s throat. “I do not care if you threaten me. Now answer. It our turn to ask shitty questions.” The woman leaned forward, the spear pressing even more, yet Vivienne did not flinch. The woman grinned.

        “You’re quite brave for a nursing fairy. I must admit, I expected your mate to act, not you. He has a history with us, after all.”

        “Answer.” Vivienne ignored the woman’s words, steel gaze piercing through hers. The woman sighed and lowered her spear, stepping next to Vivienne, removing the woman’s fingers from her robes in the process.

        “It was a procedural test. Under immediate danger, shamans with third elements use their third, acting on instinct rather than relying on the elements that they mastered up to that point. There are some who manage to pass this stage unnoticed, but only if their third element is not yet developed, which is quite rare. Your son is a strong shaman, so it would be completely impossible of him not to have developed a third element by now. That’s why he passes.” Vivienne did not spare a second glance at the woman, briskly turning away and walking over to Minho and Kyko, breathing a sigh of relief, her knees trembling.

        “You alright, bud?” She inquired, crouching down in front of Minho. Minho nodded, sighing heavily once the hunters were out of sight. She smiled at him, brushing his hair out of his face, before she pushed him towards the house, claiming that she would allow him to cook with her as a reward for doing good. Kyko laughed for the moment, eyes promising Vivienne that they would talk about her stunt back there. She could’ve gotten herself killed.

 

**_Year 1380_ **

**_Minho: 22 years old_ **

****

        Among the masses of shamans fiddling around the center of the training grounds, two males sat aside, one taller and sturdier than the other. The shorter one kept on staring around, his eyes wide, hands trembling.

        “How will the instructors be?” He looked up at his older acquaintance, rubbing his hands together, his robes sticking to his body. The other looked down at the boy, grinning ruefully.

        “I don’t know how things have been on your side in the Feory Lands, kid, but the instructors here are _rough_. Pray that they won’t select you for the opening ceremony fights.” It was a new beginning for the training groups, a new year. Shamans transferred from group to group, from trainer to trainer, looking for their friends, searching for their families among the masses. It was a mess. As soon as the instructors arrived, they would all scurry back to their places, knowing the punishment for misbehaving.

        The youngling fidgeted, having expected things to be tougher in this training camp, but what the older male was saying was madness.

        “How will the trainers be distributed?”  

        “You see how there are four groups here, mainly, four groups there, and four there?” The younger one nodded. “Well, there will be three instructors, and depending on how many new guys arrive, the harshest one will go to that group to get them faster in shape. The other eleven instructors will spread to our groups. So, beware, I think you’ll have our harshest instructor. Just remember to be quiet, respectful, and to listen to whatever the instructors tell you to do, understood?” The shaman nodded, fidgeting with his robes even more. As he allowed his eyes to wander around aimlessly in an attempt to find something else to focus on, he stumbled upon a pair of jewels, the most beautiful azure eyes that he’d ever seen. He was standing off to the side, alone, with his hands clasped behind his back, robes neatly tied around his waist, posture straight. He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular, but rather at the unlit bonfire place that would soar once night fell over.

        “Who is he?” The youngling found himself talking before he could stop himself, his heart pounding when the mysterious man started looking around; he instantly averted his eyes when the older man beside him burst into rough chuckles.

        “Take your eyes off of him kid. He’s stronger than all of us together.”

        “Who is he?” The younger boy used a different tone this time, bathed in more than curiosity. This time, the older man nodded, leaning closer so he wouldn’t be heard too clearly by those around him.

        “That’s Lee Minho. He’s the best student in my year, and might as well be the best student this generation has to offer. He rarely speaks to anyone other than his training team mates, but he’s really polite. Mysterious too…” The man stepped aside, opting to walk away to mingle with his group as he saw them approach, leaving the young one to find his own general one so that he could be sent to a group as well.

        To the left of the bonfire, Minho started fidgeting a little. It wasn’t too noticeable. He could sense the instructors approaching, the asshole of a beginner trainer and the eldest group, but they were still a little ways away. His teammates? Nowhere.

        They were all supposed to wait on the training grounds in front of the Great Chambers, and that unnerved Minho. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his own cabin and sleep. He hated ceremonies like these, because younger shamans would be made to fight each other to prove their worth. Minho had passed through the same thing two years prior, when he’d been selected to open the ceremony. Unknowingly at that time, he’d fought with his future group leader, and had won.

        Minho had joined the training school for shamans in 1374, at sixteen, as he was supposed to, and only four years later, he participated in his first ceremony and got selected into his definitive group. The leader was more than please to see him again, and surprisingly, Minho could say the same.

        As he remained with his back to the imposing building with his eyes glued to the wood that would soon be lit up with fire, someone snuck up behind him. They placed a hand atop Minho’s shoulder, surprising him.

        The entire grounds fell silent as Minho flipped the person behind him over his shoulder, the shaman collapsing on the ground with a rather painful thud. Despite that, the shaman continued to smile widely at Minho, his golden eyes glistening with amusement, raven hair a bird’s nest, freckles dotting his cheeks.

        “Ryen?!” Minho questioned, bewildered, his eyes burning even brighter as he recognized his leader and dear friend. The shamans around them started to whisper, something Minho was used to. Whenever he did something, everyone started to talk, because of the little they knew about him.

        “You’re as awful as always.” Ryen laughed, accepting the hand that Minho offered to him. Once on his own two feet, Ryen grabbed Minho in a headlock, gathering even more whispers from everyone around. “There, now we’re even.” He exclaimed and released Minho, another fit of laughter encompassing him as he saw the other’s hair.

        “Ryen, stop torturing poor Minho!” Another member of their group shouted, running towards them. It was Mjolnir, the eldest out of their group. Despite being the oldest, and deserving of the name Mjolnir for the amount of muscles and kind heart, he chose not to be the leader, trusting Ryen to do a much better work at judging things more with his brain rather than his heart. In Minho’s opinion, Ryen was worse than Mjolnir when it came to judging with the brain rather than the heart, but it seemed as though he was the only one capable of seeing it. Either that, or he was the only one Ryen truly lowered his guard around.

        “I’m not torturing him. I’m showing him my affection. With my knuckles.”

        “That’s called violence!” Juvy shouted from behind Ryen, knocking his shoulder against his leader’s and running away, Viva following after him. Viva and Juvy were twins, both younger than Minho by a year. He couldn’t help but admit that they somehow got under his skin quite fast. It worried him deeply that they were twins and not siblings, because he knew what bond got created between them at birth. It was just as dangerous as a clan or family bond.

        Viva giggled and pushed Juvy out of her way, rushing over to Mjolnir as Ryen captured her twin in a headlock. Minho covered his mouth as he felt laughter bubbling out of his throat, his eyes closing. He could hear Viva complain about something and Mjolnir laughing at her, Juvy cursing out at Ryen for being the cause of empty patches of scalp. He felt at home among them.

        When he opened his eyes again, he caught Ryen’s staring at him with a fond look, amazement and something he couldn’t quite identify woven in them. It made him flustered all of a sudden, the feeling remaining even as Ryen focused back on Juvy. Mjolnir coughed, effectively bringing him out of that state, if only to scold the older.

        “Mjolnir, are you smoking again?”

        “Ah Minho. Really, your eyes are amazing, did I ever tell you that?”

        “Don’t try to flirt your way out of a good scolding. What cigar was it this time? Lemon or cherry? You usually cough like this after a tree bark one, so you obviously were too lazy to actually go and get leaves, weren’t you?” Minho voice faded into a motherly nagging, falling on deaf ears. Ryen had met Minho’s parents for a total of five times, the amount sufficient enough for him to identify a lot of Vivienne’s traits in Minho. They tended to come out especially during times as such.

        “Minho, stop fussing around me, I’m not a child.” Mjolnir moaned, waving his hands in an attempt to stop Minho’s scolding, but it was useless, the twins adding more salt to the wound as they stood on either side of Minho with their hands crossed over their chests, disappointed looks in their eyes.

        “Just give in Mjolnir. You can’t win against momma Minho.” Another voice joined in, Ryen stepping aside to greet Jonah, the only other shaman in their group that was the same age as Minho.

        Minho and Jonah nodded at each other, sharing smiles before Ryen was pulling them all in line as the instructors approached. They all shared a look of exasperation as they remembered just how awful their first year had been with the monster trainer, pitying the younglings that would have to experience him as well. Ryen smiled at their instructor, having known her for the longest. She was a good instructor, stern with her teaching but gentle when they couldn’t understand a certain spell. It would be a rough year for everyone.

        “Welcome to everyone, young and old alike. I wish to say enjoy, but I know you will not, so I’ll stick to good luck. Let’s all have a fulfilling year.” The shamans around cheered as the youngest of the elders spoke, Minho sneering in his mind at how annoying the elder’s voice was. He was glad he had a strong self-control.

        After the introductions were over with and all of the instructors retired to their groups, the elder left as well, knowing that the shamans had to prepare for the night ceremonies of welcoming.

        Once their instructor told them what to do and freed them for the remainder of the afternoon, they all headed to their cabin, settling on their beds and dropping their bags underneath. Ryen instantly fell into Minho’s bed, taunting him and resting his arms underneath his head. Minho rose an eyebrow and settled a hand on his hip, waiting for Ryen to get up, but the other simply started to whistle, looking anywhere but at his comrade.

        “Fine…” Minho muttered, going over to Jonah’s bed and sitting on it. When Jonah turned around to settle on his _own_ bed, he saw Minho, and the puzzle pieces fell into place.

        “Again?” Minho mouthed a _yep_ and closed his eyes, burying one hand underneath the pillow and turning on his side. Jonah heaved a sigh and turned around to look at the others. “So, beds change again. I call dibs on the one next to the door.” The twins groaned in despair, lost as to why Ryen always changed beds each year. Because of that, Minho ended up changing beds, which then led to all of them doing the same. Apparently, Ryen loved to annoy Minho.

        Mjolnir nudged Ryen in the back from beside his bed after everyone fell asleep for sure, making him turn around with a cocked eyebrow.

        “Why do you always change the beds?” The light blush on Ryen’s cheeks would’ve gone unnoticed if not for Mjolnir knowing him for a long time. Mjolnir sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t get any answer from a flustered Ryen. He took of his shoes and twisted around to lay on the bed, knowing that a few hours of rest would do magic to his tired body. He had to take care of five younglings after all…

****

        “ _Pssst. Psssttt.”_ Minho turned on his other side, trying to ignore the annoying buzzing by his ear. He heard it again, this time on the other side as well, making his eyes burst open. He came face to face with a rather familiar one, mouth opening to shout in surprise the way he used to when he was little. The other person expected it, instantly plastering a hand over Minho’s mouth, using rapid gestures to show him to stay quiet. “ _Follow me._ ” Woyid mouthed the words, helping Minho out of the bed. As he got up, he understood why Woyid had been so quiet: everyone else was still asleep, Mjolnir in the bed next to Ryen’s, the twins on Mjolnir’s left side and Jonah next to Minho’s, opposite to the twins and Mjolnir. Ryen had the bed closest to the windows, Minho following as second, facing his.

        “Uncle! It’s such a surprise to see you here!” Minho shouted with glee, hugging Woyid as soon as they were outside the cabin. Woyid grinned widely, hugging back just as fiercely. His parents were not allowed to visit him until he passed the ten-years threshold in his training, so him seeing Woyid was like a gift from the deities. After Minho passed the test on his tenth birthday, he’d spent a lot more time with Woyid and his parents, training, and for six years, he got to know Woyid and his mate better, growing close enough that he could comfortably call Woyid uncle. He’d become part of Minho’s family faster than it would be considered normal.

        “I know! I’ve pulled some strings and managed to land for myself the duties to bring to the young shamans the books that they might need from the library to study. Meaning that-“

        “-you’ll be here more often and I’ll see you more frequently?”

        “Yes!” Minho grinned widely, barely keeping himself from hugging Woyid again. Woyid chuckled at Minho’s joy, bringing forth what he’d been holding underneath his arm. “Here, this is for you. It’s the last piece that you have to read before your _training_ is done.” Woyid handed Minho the thick book, his voice dancing in different tones around the word _training_ , pushing it into his hands when Minho tried to refuse.

        “But what if they catch it in my possession?” Minho hissed, eyes fleeing back to the book of fire and water spells. Woyid shook his head, a reassuring smile on his face. He could easily read the discomfort and fear in Minho’s eyes.

        “Even if they catch you reading it, they cannot accuse you of anything. This book contains the most powerful water spells, and none other. It is completely logical of you to have it in order for you to perfect your water magic. Plus, you’ve passed your third rank test with great appreciations from the huntress. They _literally_ cannot say a thing to you.” Minho hesitated for a second more before he fully grasped the book, sending a small smile towards Woyid. He was grateful, truly, but his worry sometimes took reign over his heart. He couldn’t possibly allow anyone to find out about him.

        “Will you stay for the ceremony?”

        “Yes. As the elders’ librarian, I’m entitled to participate and read out from the ceremony books. I know someone else did it before, but now that I’m here, it’s my duty.”

        With a booming laugh, Minho clapped Woyid on the back once, twice, before he grasped at his shoulder. “You don’t even know how happy I am for that. Our last Ceremony Priest took ages to finish reading everything.” Woyid winked at him, ruffling his hair when he saw him eye the book again with great interest. He was sure Minho couldn’t wait to read from it.

“Now off you go! You must wake up your teammates and prepare for the ceremonies. Remember, wear your colors, and symbol.” Woyid instructed, giving Minho a light shove in the direction of the cabins. The forest around them was so alive, the chirping of Souls, the pale bioluminescence of the golden and turquoise flowers, glowing gently in the afternoon sun.

        “Aye aye uncle. See you tonight.” Minho nodded, holding the book tightly and turning around to return to the cabin. Inside, Jonah was awake, resting with his head against the wall, eyes barely opened, fluttering shut from time to time. Minho waved at him after he dropped the book on his bed, watching him try to wake up fully as he untied his own robes. He allowed them to slither down his arms until they hit the edge of his bed, leaving him in only his fitting trousers and loose silver shirt tied at the neck with three laces.

        “Having trouble staying awake?” Jonah nodded, leaning forward and resting his head in between his knees, fingers trembling lightly as they rose to catch at his golden locks. “Hey, you okay?”

        “Yeah, just a dizzy spell. I’ll be fine.”

        “Let me see.” Minho said softly, trailing over to Jonah’s bed, sitting down to his right. “Come here.” Jonah leaned forward and allowed Minho to rest his palm over his forehead, eyes closing. With his energy, he reached out to Jonah, feeling around what he was feeling. With a low voice, Minho spoke of the ancient rites, hummed to Jonah until he felt better, tendrils of his own magic surfacing on the tips of his fingers and embracing Jonah’s forehead, eyes glowing like the deepest Caribbean sea beneath closed lids.

        He remained there for longer, holding onto Jonah’s hand until Jonah nodded, eyes opened completely. “I feel a lot better now. Thanks Minho.”

        “You’re welcome. Are you going to use the same symbols tonight?” Jonah nodded, inclining his head towards the bottles of orange and green paint by his side. “Need any help with your back?”

        “I think I’ll need some, but I’ll only accept it after you’ve allowed me to do yours.” Minho opened his mouth to agree when someone else interrupted, voice heavy with sleep.

        “I’m the one who’ll do Minho’s tattoos and yours, Jonah. At least this year.” Normally, the leaders were supposed to pain the members of their groups, but in their group, they did each other’s tattoos as they wanted. Apparently, Ryen was full of surprises that year.

“Understood.” Jonah agreed, settling back down against his pillow to wait for the others to get up as well, conjuring a ball of flames to throw around and catch for fun. Minho, on the other hand, walked over to Ryen, crouching down in front of his bed. He waited there until Ryen opened one eye.

        “What’s wrong?” Ryen inquired, turning onto his back and settling his arm over his eyes to block the pale light from outside.

        “Nothing’s wrong, per se. I’m just curious why.”

        “Why I want to do your tattoos this year? It’s because it’s my duty and I feel as though doing so will bring me even closer to you all, both as leader and friend.” Minho looked at Ryen with azure eyes, his lips quirking up a little.

“I wonder how many more surprises you’ll present this year.”

        “I plan on a lot.” Ryen winked, reaching out to brush Minho’s cheek gently before retrieving his hands and standing up, throwing away the thin blanket that had been covering his body. “I’ll wake Viva and Mjolnir, you deal with Juvy.” Minho nodded, getting up from beside Ryen’s bed and turning around.

        Minho trudged over to Juvy’s bed, his being the closest to the door from the left side. Ryen had assigned Minho to Juvy their first night there. For some weird reason, Juvy never hit Minho when he woke up. Mjolnir was the only one to know the true reason as to why Juvy always hit whoever woke him up.

        “Juvy?” Minho crooned, shaking Juvy’s shoulder lightly. The youngling groaned and turned on his left side, eyes scrunching tighter upon realizing that there was _light_ coming from somewhere. Minho tried yet again, passing his fingers softly through the other’s strawberry golden hair the way his mother used to do whenever she had to get Minho up and dressed way too early for meetings and training. It worked, but not to the extent that Juvy opened his eyes, the light from outside bothering him still. Minho straightened his back and looked towards the windows, his eyes glowing once before thin trails of green and blue dust moved around the thin windows, the molecules vibrating and turning black, coating the windows in a light layer that blocked the sun. Juvy finally opened his eyes as soon as the threat of light burning his irises disappeared, green jewels greeting Minho’s.

        “Hey. You in the mood for some getting naked and drawn on?” Minho inquired, taking pleasure in the way Juvy rolled his eyes and dropped back down on the bed from his tensed-up position, a groan escaping from his vocal chords.

        “Must we?” Viva’s sleepy voice drifted through the cabin, startling them.

        “Yes, you know that it’s mandatory for us to be there.”  With a slightly rough voice, Mjolnir responded as he searched through his trunk in an attempt to find his ceremony robe.

        “Either way, it’s about time that we start getting ready. The Ceremony Priest will be there by sun-down, and we need to be there before that.” Ryen instructed, walking through the cabin back to his bed, crouching down in front of his trunk. His eyes burned amber before the chest opened with a clank, allowing him entry. Ryen searched through it for a short period before he his hand came into contact with the scratchy surface of his robe. He fished it out and stared at it for a good amount of time, checking it to be in its prim and proper state. After feeling satisfied with what he found, Ryen straightened up and dropped the robe on his bed, hands going to his waist, fingers gripping at his shirt to take it off over his head.

        Meanwhile, the others did the same, undressing down to their trousers, Viva doing the same, remaining with her chest shirt on. She would have her tattoos done on her neck, cleavage, hands and lower stomach, unlike the guys, for obvious reasons.

        “Me first, me first!” Viva shouted almost as soon as she saw Ryen drop his shirt onto the bed, ready to paint them. Ryen grinned and gestured for her to grab her paint bottles and approach him, Viva doing so at light speed, dropping down on Ryen’s bed with a bright smile.

        Ryen worked quietly and with a small smile on his face always, taking care to draw the lines and symbols as perfectly as possible, Viva’s done in blue and red, Juvy’s in amber and green, Mjolnir’s in blue and green and Jonah’s in golden and red. They all wore the symbol chosen to represent their team as well: a phoenix on the column of their neck, with the tip of its wing curling behind their ears, other wing embracing their necks.

        In less than half an hour, Ryen was done with almost everyone, Minho and him being the last ones to be painted. Juvy and Viva followed Mjolnir outside in a rush, wanting to see the sun fall down, while Jonah went ahead to the ceremonial grounds, wishing to meet up with his sister. She was in a different group, a year above him.

        “Come on, sit down.” Ryen surprised Minho from where he was reading the book that he’d received from Woyid in his bed, inclining his head towards the bed for Minho to sit down. Minho nodded and closed the book, slipping it underneath his pillow before getting up and stretching his bones. Ryen followed the book with his eyes, his astonished look going unnoticed by Minho. “So, how will it be this time? Front or back?” Ryen queried once Minho sat down, paint bottles in his hands. Minho’s lips quirked upwards, not even surprised that Ryen had remembered Minho’s tendencies of drawing the phoenix both on his chest and on his back, depending on how he was feeling in said year.

        “Back, this time.” Ryen nodded and walked around his bed to seat himself behind Minho, grasping the paint bottles from his hands. Blue and green. With gentle hands, Ryen started to paint the phoenix all over Minho’s back, careful to do it with as many details as possible, before he went to drawing the lines connecting to the heart of the phoenix. The swirling patterns moved over to Minho’s pectorals, the lines uniting in a connection of circuits moving down to Minho’s abdomen where they formed a spiraling ignis sign, all four spirals uniting in the middle.

        Minho couldn’t help but enjoy the tenderness with which Ryen worked with the paint on his body, the other’s energy thrumming in balance with his. “You should do this more often.” Minho turned his head slightly to see Ryen, grin already on his lips, but then it faltered at the fond look in Ryen’s eyes. Ryen’s hands almost stilled in surprise, his heart skipping a little beat, but then he continued to apply the paint, eyes meeting Minho’s azure ones, sudden shy smile on his lips. With a mental nudge from himself, Ryen smirked at Minho, teasing demeanor back in place.

        “What? You mean you want more massages from me in the future?” This seemed to work at breaking the sudden awkward tension, Minho and Ryen chuckling at the latter’s remark.

        “Now it’s my turn, let’s switch places.” Minho turned to look at Ryen with confusion present on his face. He’d forgotten that by painting the other, Ryen would need someone to paint him as well. With a nod, Minho turned around and grabbed the paint bottles from Ryen’s hands, eager to paint on the other.

****

        Minho walked around the cabin, waiting for the sun to finally go down so they could all gather around the bonfire in the middle of the sand pit. He was wearing only his trousers and ceremonial robe, the vivid colors on his chest, neck and back peeking out from time to time as he moved, the black material waving around his body with the wind. He’d added a bit of green and blue powder around his eyes so that they would stand out more, silver crown of leaves and flowers loosely tied in his hair above his forehead. His staff rested hidden in his tattoo, waiting to be unleashed for the introduction part of the ceremony.

        To Minho’s surprise, a hand curled around his wrist, stopping him in place. When he turned around, he found Juvy, his shoulder length hair loose and untied, cheeks aflame. Minho continued to stare at Juvy as the other avoided his eyes with a pout on his lips. Juvy remained unsure whether to talk or not, so when Minho reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, soft voice urging him to speak, Juvy looked up.

        “I…I was wondering whether you could braid my hair the way I had it when we first met? Because a long time has passed since I’ve worn it like that, and my mother did it for me for the first year, and I want to wear it like that again because I feel like this is a special occasion, but my mother can’t do it and…” When Juvy realized that Minho was still staring at him intently, he blushed harder and stopped talking, hands rubbing together. “Ahh, I don’t know why I’m asking you this, I don’t even know if you know how to braid-“

        “I know how.” Juvy’s head snapped up to look at Minho as the other finally spoke, a calm smile on his face. “I learned from the numerous times where I had to help my mom braid her hair for meetings and such. It’s a dutch braid on the side with loose ends, right?” Juvy couldn’t help but gasp, his eyes widened. He couldn’t believe Minho still remembered how he’d had his hair done in the first year. So much time had passed from then! “Sit down over here.” Minho gestured towards the wooden border of the cabin, walking after Juvy and taking off his robe so he could work easily; his sleeves were too long and seeing as they passed Minho’s fingers, it would hinder him while braiding.

        As Minho braided Juvy’s hair, his mind focused on the sounds and scents around them, the wood nymphs cackling and playing in the forest around them, some smiling at Minho whenever they caught his eyes, others clapping with happiness before rushing behind another tree, the wind howling through the tall masters of the nature, the sun bathing them in warmth. The smell of crackling wood from the bonfire and of hot sand wafted all the way to them from the sand pit, reminding Minho of the years that had already passed.

        “Do you know why I never hit you whenever you wake me up?” Juvy spoke in one breath through the silence, startling Minho from how fast he was stumbling over letters.

        “Why?” Minho asked as he tightened the left side of the braid before continuing down with it.

        “It’s because you remind me of my mother. Both the way you always act and your energy pattern. It just…reminds me of her a lot. I even hit my dad once!” Juvy exclaimed with a chuckle, his legs swinging above the ground. Minho hummed, eyes glistening.

        “I’ve been told numerous times that I act like a mom, but never that I remind someone of their own.”

        “I know, it’s really weird-“ Juvy turned around quickly, looking as if he might apologize, but Minho had other thoughts.

        “It’s an honor. Thank you.” Juvy looked up at Minho, his green eyes turning golden as they started to glisten with barely there tears, before Juvy wrenched his sight away, a watery _thank you_ passing his lips. Minho cooed and embraced Juvy from behind, teasing him a little if only to see him smiling again like he’d been before.

        When they entered the ceremony grounds, Viva found them first, her green eyes widening as she saw the way her brother’s hair was done. She could instantly tell that it was Minho’s work, both from his fond gaze and proud smile, and from the way Juvy’s hair had blue and green glitter woven into his braid. Viva wanted her hair done like that now as well…

        “Minho~ I want glitter too.” Viva said as soon as Minho got close enough, Mjolnir laughing at her whiny tone. Juvy poked his tongue out at her before running behind Ryen as Viva made to tickle him. She was stopped, however, by hands weaving into her hair, passing through her strawberry blonde locks with ease. When she turned around, she found Minho’s azure eyes fixed on her, a smirk on his lips.

        “There, done.” Viva quickly raised her arms to her hair, feeling around the curls. She couldn’t actually see if she had glitter now, so she twisted her arms in a circle in front of her, blue eyes rimmed red as she conjured a circle of water, enchanting it into a mirror. She gasped as she saw the blue glitter forming a crown of forget-me-not flowers atop her head.

        “Thank you!” Viva shouted and jumped forward to embrace Minho with all the strength that she had. Seeing as Viva was one of the strongest fighters from all of the shaman groups, Minho started coughing, feeling as though his ribs were being pushed inwards.

        “…-ai-r…” Ryen started to laugh, his hands grasping at his stomach, the loud sounds attracting the attention of other shamans and instructors alike, but Ryen couldn’t find it in himself to care, because there Minho stood, face reddening as a short girl squeezed him to death with love. Mjolnir hit him in the side with an exasperated sigh before jogging over to Viva and Minho, pulling the girl away from the almost-dying shaman. Jonah went ahead to check on Minho, but the other started to laugh, leaning into Jonah, right hand curling into the other’s robes as he tried to stand straight. The sight caused Ryen to stop laughing, his heart tightening for whatever weird reason. He barely registered the laughter and talking around him dimming to a whisper as someone came forth from among them.

        The shamans formed a wider circle around the bonfire as Woyid stepped towards it, book underneath his arm. His dark maroon hair was swept to the side as if by a force of nature, his grey eyes glistening with hidden mischief. Without even opening the book, Woyid proudly turned around to face the crowd, hand dropping into the fire to gather burning charcoal amidst the gasps of shock. Clearly no Ceremony Priest did that before.

        “Welcome to a new year! First years!” Most shamans from the crowd straightened, eyes wide with both fear and excitement. “Strengthen your hearts enough to be able to grasp fire like this by the end of the year! Old ones!” Minho almost rolled his eyes at that. Of course Woyid would take the opportunity to call them all ‘old’. “Strive to become better than you already are! You never know when you might need the extra power! And now…” Woyid turned back around to the bonfire, fingers releasing the book so that it fell in the sand tendrils that rose under his will to form a book stand. Woyid dropped his other hand into the fire, eyes closing as they turned red. Whispers passed his lips, chimes rang in the air, and the fire rose to unimaginable heights, almost melting into the colors of the sky, light blue and deep purple. The shamans looked as the flames started dancing around, separating from the bonfire and moving towards them underneath various shapes, birds, phoenixes, nymphs coiling and swaying around them, welcoming them. Minho felt his chest fill up with pride at the sight, for that was his uncle, giving them a show to never be forgotten.

        “Enjoy.” Woyid spoke gleefully, skipping away from the bonfire and back among the shamans, book long forgotten into the sand, although it would always find its way back to Woyid. He approached Minho and his team with a smirk, robes from the hearth of the fire dancing around him with power. The head of the instructors walked in Woyid’s place, ready to do the first year roll call before the fights started. “So, how was that?” Woyid inquired almost as soon as he stepped foot in Minho’s vicinity.

        “Meh, it was good.” Minho said, trying to appear unaffected. Woyid saw through it instantly, how could he not, drawing closer to Minho with a grin and blowing pixie dust in his direction. The pixie dust flew even further, hitting his teammates as well. “Woyid!” Minho chastised as he scrambled to wipe the dust away, knowing that it would glue to his skin until it was absorbed by his body. Woyid laughed, bringing Minho into a tight hug, eyes fleeting over Ryen, whose cheeks were alight from the dust, his freckles looking almost enchanted.

        “I shall ask again-“

        “It was wonderful, you know that!”

        “Yes, but I love me some praise from you.”  Woyid smiled and patted Minho on his head, clearly seeing how affected the other was by the show despite his attempts of hiding.

        “Woyid, it’s been too long.”

        “Mjolnir!” The two went ahead to shake hands, Mjolnir smiling widely as he embraced with his family friend. Mjolnir had his dark moss green hair tied up in a knot, some loose strands falling free, his blue eyes glistening with joy at seeing Woyid again.  Ryen came to a stand beside Minho, hands crossed over his chest, pixie dust coating his eyelashes and cheeks.

        “Woyid is quite lively tonight. It’s been some time since we’ve seen him.” Ryen and his teammates had met Woyid outside of training for a total of five times, and in that time, they’d bonded so quickly it was almost surreal. Minho had no idea what made them click so fast, although he could remember Mjolnir saying once that they were all tied closely by the need to defend his pure heart or something like that. Minho looked up at Ryen with a small smile, his eyes widening upon the sight of Ryen with sparkly freckles. He chuckled, drawing Ryen’s eyes on him. “What? Is there something on my face? Oh wait…there is…” Ryen heaved a sigh, hands going up yet again to try and rub the dust away.

        “Here, let me.” Minho said, still laughing, hands going up to brush against Ryen’s cheekbones. The other froze in place, eyes widening, the golden dust on his cheeks turning pink as the small crystals reflected the red hue. Minho grinned even more as Ryen averted his eyes, fingers going even slower across his skin. With a huff, Ryen moved his hand quickly, grasping at Minho’s wrist to stop his teasing actions. Minho looked up at Ryen’s eyes again, breath stuttering in his chest at the intensity hiding beneath Ryen’s amber irises. What…

        “…and you won’t even think about _how_ I met Minho for the first time. He was practicing his spells with his father in a meadow when I saw them.” Minho instantly recognized the story, body moving towards Woyid in a second to try and cover his mouth or enchant him into silence, embarrassment creeping up his chest and neck in a dark blush.

        “No you won’t!” Minho exclaimed, hands plastering over Woyid’s mouth, but the image faltered, shifted until Jonah was in Woyid’s place, the shaman grinning, fingers alight with blue. Mjolnir acted quickly, passing his hands around Minho’s elbows to hold the other in place as Woyid continued with the embarrassing stories from Minho’s early childhood. By the time Woyid felt satisfied enough with his retelling, Minho had gotten so red that they could’ve lost him in a field of cranberries, his body lax in Mjolnir’s hold, his entire strength having abandoned him.

        “That was incredible! He turned a _cat_ into a _bush_?!”

“That was _meowing_.” Woyid added, making Juvy laugh so hard that he had to clutch at his stomach from beside Mjolnir. He honestly couldn’t stop laughing because Woyid’s stories were amazing. In his mind, he always imagined child Minho as a serious person, always stoic and cool looking, but through Woyid’s stories, Juvy realized that he was just like the rest of them, easy-going, young and inexperienced and with a lot of talent at messing up.

        “I give up.” Minho bemoaned, sighing heavily and resigning himself to his fate. He would never be able to face his team again.

        “Who knew Minho had such an amazing childhood.” Jonah teased from beside Viva, staring at Minho, smile all sharp canines and pearly teeth. Ryen couldn’t help but agree, joyfully looking at Minho.

        “I wish I had such funny tales. My childhood was pretty boring. I remember cutting a lot of wood as a task for my father…” Mjolnir hummed from behind Minho, Juvy and Viva laughing incredulously.

        “Cutting wood? When?”

        “Ah, when I was in the human realm.”

        “You were?!” The twins exclaimed in shock, both leaning forward as if they were being let in on a secret.

        “Yes, yes, my father took me there for a few years but we had to come back because of how dangerous and…bare the place was.”

        “Tell us more!” They gathered around in a circle on the sand, listening to Mjolnir talk, until the bells started to ring. The roll call was over. Turning towards the bonfire, Juvy watched as the head instructor left the middle in favor of sitting among the other instructors.

        First year after first year stumbled over to the middle, next to the bonfire, awaiting for his foe, some fighting rather formidably, capable enough to defeat their opponent with only a few spells, while others were not as lucky. Many first years had to be carried away by nursing fairies after their first official battle, some crying and cursing at the instructors for instilling such a rule, while others were silently casting healing spells over their bodies, determined to do better next time.

        When one first year drew fire from the middle and aimed it towards his opponent under the form of a dragon, everyone stilled, their eyes widened in shock. Even the instructors, who were talking in whispers among themselves, went quiet.

        “We found a winner!” The head instructor shouted, recovering from his surprise, the crowd erupting into cheers. Minho and his team cheered as well, happy for the first year, while Woyid followed him with his eyes. He was certain no fire wielder could summon such flames from the bonfire. Only a third rank shaman could.

        It was customary for everyone to remain until the drinks were served from the waters that sat at the base of Grühlhfir. After that, they were free to do whatever they wanted. Seeing as it was Woyid’s first time being Ceremonial Priest, he wanted to celebrate, so of course he had to bring a bottle of spirit alcohol to share with Minho and his team, this leading to a very drunk Juvy, a tipsy Jonah, and a not-even-drunk Mjolnir, because _his muscles drink, not him._ Minho and Ryen were equally tipsy, with Viva abstaining from alcohol.

        When Juvy started to run around the other shamans with vines sprouting wherever he stepped, Minho knew it was time to take him back to their cabin, otherwise they could expect another accidental tree growing out of nowhere.

        They all headed inside, Woyid calling it a night as well and hugging Minho and the others, claiming that he’ll be passing by Kyko and Vivienne before going home to talk with them about Minho, sending a wink his way.

****

        By the time the moon was well high up in the sky and the Gows were out illuminating the forest with their bioluminescent antennas, the cabins around were all quieted down, all except theirs. Juvy, still drunk, was chasing Viva around the cabin, running through the beds, underneath them, on the walls, on the ceiling, anything to catch Viva, but she was fast, ignoring Juvy and even signing as she ran. Mjolnir, tired from the ceremony, tried to tell them to stop, but it was useless. It was as though he was talking with a brick wall. Even that would’ve listened better than a drunk Juvy and annoyed Viva.

        “Come on, settled down kids.” Mjolnir spoke, louder this time. Both Viva and Juvy stopped and turned to look at Mjolnir, eerily slow and in sync. Jonah muttered a small _uh oh_ before Mjolnir tried to escape out the door with a shriek, only for the two crazed twins to jump on his back and drag him down with yelps, Mjolnir crying as his beard got caught in the door. Jonah shook his head, ever so slightly inching closer to the edge of the bed so he could hide underneath it. Ryen was resting in his own bed, his being the only one the twins hadn’t thrashed, laughing from time to time as Mjolnir cursed.

        He got up, moving towards the window where Minho rested on the windowsill, head tilted, forehead plastered against the cold window as he regarded the Gows with a far-away look. The Gows were creatures with spiky wings and pointy tails, no bigger than a medium sized boulder of stone, with elongated beaks and skin made out of shivering scales over which the moonlight seemed to dance, antennas, thin tendrils sprouting from the top of their beaks with a ball-pointed end, illuminating their way.

        Ryen placed a hand on Minho’s knee, warm and inquiring, surprising him and drawing the other’s attention on him. Minho looked up, tense for a second, not knowing who it was, but then he recognized Ryen, a fond smile appearing on his face almost instantly. Lowering his head against the window, yet this time looking at Ryen, Minho spoke.

        “Hey.”

        “Hey.” Ryen waited for Minho to say something else, but when the other didn’t, he continued. “You okay?” Ryen’s eyes turned more serious, his easy-going and mischievous demeanor dropping in an instant whenever the situation called for it.

        “Kind of. I’m just thinking about my parents…about my father. I-“ Minho cut himself off, remembering his father’s words: _no matter how much you trust someone, never reveal that you are a third rank shaman._ Minho wanted to, was so close to because he knew Ryen, he knew the other would tell no one, but he couldn’t say. He wouldn’t say. “It’s nothing. I just miss them a lot.” Ryen kept on staring at Minho, knowing that the other had intended to say something else, although now he showed no sign of continuing.

        With a sigh, Ryen brushed a stray lock from Minho’s face, smiling reassuringly at him. “I’m sure whatever you’re worried about will pass well and everything will be alright. We’ll pull through. As a team.” Minho looked up at Ryen, thankful smile blooming on his lips. It definitely helped to know that he had his team backing him up.


	45. Into the past, part II:Trials

_**Year 1388** _

_**Minho: 30 years old** _

       

        The shadows moved around them, shielded them from prying eyes. To them, it seemed as though it took forever to reach the Singed Tree from where they would start their scouting. The silence around them was deafening, bordering on eerie and restless. Their energies whirled wildly around them, so uncertain, so curious, the knowledge of the creatures lurking around spiking their senses. No one wandered blindly into the Silver Forest without being prepared.

        “Can you feel anything out of the ordinary?” Mjolnir asked quietly, leaning closer to Jonah as they all shuffled steadily to the second layer of the Silver Forest. They were there for one of their numerous trials, although this was by far the most important. On this specific night, every senior group was requested to venture into the Silver Forest to find a specific class of so called  _butterflies_ , nicknamed like that for their beautiful, fragile wings, brethren of the beasts belonging to the Blue Mountains, inhabitants of the Silver Forest.

        Minho stilled, staff digging into the soft ground. “Nothing.” He leaned forward and crouched down, fingers digging into the green coverage, tendrils of his own energy reaching out to the forest, searching, prodding. He heaved a sigh and lowered himself onto the ground, legs crossed, eyes flying up to the huge trees that seemed to crowd in over their heads. Minho liked the Silver Forest; it reminded him of the Crystal Caverns in terms of ancient energies and pure wild nature. He’d been shocked to discover that he was the only one feeling at ease in it upon mentioning it in the Dining Hall once.

        Viva jumped when the wind picked up and the trees groaned, three Gows flying into the opposite direction from them. The small bulb of light that hovered just a few inches above her open palm flickered in intensity as her face palled just a little, before it glowed bright again.

        “Should we camp for a while and think about where to head next? These forests are huge!” Juvy exclaimed, dragging his fingers roughly through his tangled locks. Viva tsked and walked over to her twin to gather his hair in a tight bun at the back so it wouldn’t bother him anymore. Ryen couldn’t help but think that he would need to help in giving him a haircut again. Juvy hated them.

        “We can camp if you-“ Ryen stopped midsentence when Minho’s head snapped up, his fingers tightening on his staff. Minho eyes were two azure stars in the darkness of the night, blinding in their intensity. His pupils slit to thin lines as he used his magic, whispers gathering around them, and Ryen waited with baited breath for him to speak, both alerted by whatever Minho had sensed and frozen, for he’d been yet again reminded about just how strikingly beautiful and royal Minho was in his Fae form.

        The winds picked up again, yet to their utter surprise, Minho seemed to relax from whatever had surprised him. His bright eyes moved through the forests quickly, the whispers dying down with each second. At last, Minho turned around and exhaled softly, his eyes connecting with Ryen’s own golden ones.

        “We’ve been granted passage. There’s a place nearby where we can camp for a while to rest ourselves.” Viva whistled, the hairs on her nape standing out. Minho’s voice had changed, deeper and darker, but his eyes were the same. It terrified her whenever he contacted spirits.

        “Lad, I’ve told you several times to stop doing that…” Mjolnir complained from beside Minho as they started walking, his brows pulled into a deep frown, lips a thin line.

        “I know, but it was safe this time. Plus, I promise to only do this in the Fairy Realm and nowhere else. At least all the spirits that live here are Fae so I don’t have to worry about being possessed.”

        “You never know for sure what spirits are around.” Juvy interfered, his green eyes fleeing nervously from tree to tree, as if he was seeing the ghostly apparitions that were following their movements with baited breath as if they were their own personal entertainment show. Minho waved his hand around, loose sleeve jumping.

        “I can sense them Juvy. Dark spirits have a way more disturbing aura and they can’t mask themselves, so I’m safe.”

        “Ugh, there’s no reasoning with you on this…” Jonah groaned, burying his face in his hands, stepping aside from the group to take a breather. He could feel his head pounding, the pressure from inside the forest awful for his body. It was almost as if there was something testing him, teasing his energy and running it thin. He wanted nothing more than to sit down and rest.

        “You okay in there?” Ryen inquired softly from beside him, hand going up to touch upon his shoulder. Both boys jumped aside at the spark of energy that burned at their skin where they made contact. Minho turned around, instantly next to them.

        “Stay on the path and don’t touch the trees. Also don’t stray too far. We need to keep close formation.” Minho grabbed both Ryen and Jonah around the wrist, pulling them to the center of their little group, Minho going back up front while Juvy and Viva went behind Ryen and Jonah with Mjolnir behind them. Jonah faintly recalled that there was no spark when Minho touched them.

        They soon reached a clearing that seemed to be embraced by the branches of the huge tree that sat to their right, the clearing resting right at the border to the third layer of the Silver Forest. Mjolnir dropped the bag that he was carrying onto the ground at the base of the tree, his body quickly following. Jonah did the same, watching with curiosity as Minho slammed his staff against the green coverage and closed his eyes. He could feel the grains of magic around them vibrating powerfully as a particle barrier arose from the ground, encasing the clearing into a protective bubble.

        As soon as the particle closed at the top, Minho breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the silence inside. He could stand listening to the dead for only so long. As he removed his staff from the ground, his body swayed with the movement, feet shuffling to regain his balance. Juvy extended his hand and supported Minho, squeezing his shoulder and giving him a look.  _Don’t wear yourself thin._

        Minho nodded faintly, twirling his staff around until it shrank and disappeared with a puff of black smoke. Clapping his hands to get the dust off, Minho reached down to the already there fireplace and went to snap his fingers, before his whole body froze up, eyes wide. He stepped back and cleared his throat, voice tense. “Jonah, can you help get the fire going please?” Jonah frowned at the look of slight panic on Minho’s face but nodded nonetheless, getting up and over to the fireplace. He blew softly until smoke sizzled upwards and the kindling started to burn brightly. Ryen kept on watching Minho, eyes wide and calculating. He really wanted to figure out why Minho seemed to react so badly around the concept of fire. It was almost as if he…feared it.

        With the fire burning brightly and warmly, they all settled around it, going over their plan for the second time. “We’ll enter the third layer and then travel to the center of the forest.” Viva tried to simplify their course, but Minho wouldn’t have it.

        “Viva, the butterfly is believed to live at the edge of the third layer, not in the center of the forest. We’ll go there just to make sure we checked everywhere.”

        “So then we go into the third layer and walk around there?” Juvy inquired, playing with one of the sticks in the sand that surrounded the fireplace. He kept on creating figures and runes, toying around.

        “Yes. I believe it’ll show up sooner though. It’s as if I can feel it…”

        “It’s presence?” Minho nodded. “How does it feel?” Mjolnir continued, leaning forward so he could hear Minho better. With a sigh, the young shaman wrung his hands together and settled them over his crossed legs. “Dull? It’s as if there’s a hollow of energy. It’s like a void sucking me in. I don’t like the feeling.” Jonah shivered at Minho’s description, glad that he had his shields up. He could never get why Minho kept them down most of the time.

        “How long are we going to stay here?”

        “An hour or two I guess. This is the longest night of the year, I’m certain we still have a lot of hours to waste before finally meeting up with the creature.”

        “Then we should share stories!” Mjolnir exclaimed with a twist in his voice, smile claiming his face. His blue eyes were glowing in the darkness of the forest, the fire dancing in them.

        “Who’ll go first?” Ryen asked, leaning on the hand that he had propped behind his back. To Minho’s left, Jonah leaned backwards as well, distracted by the particle barrier that Minho had conjured. Tempted, Jonah extended his other hand and pierced the barrier with a single finger; he instantly wrenched his hand back, as if burned. The air outside the barrier was freezing, biting at his skin, the energies cold and dull. How did he pass through the forest while it was like that and not notice? He couldn’t help but pity Minho for everything that he was probably feeling, although there was no talking him out of not wearing a shield through such an active area that even the Elders hated. Ancient magic ran through there.

       “You know how we have a twin bond, right?” Viva started, although to her dismay, the atmosphere dropped severely. Of course they all knew they had a twin bond. “Hey, don’t wander into dark waters. This is a cute story. So, as I was saying, Juvy and I share a twin bond, but when we were younger we discovered something that we could do with it! We can see through each other’s eyes without doing any kind of spell. Here, we’ll show you. Juvy, you’ll describe whatever they’re doing while I’m going to stand with my back towards you.” Viva stood up and turned with her back towards them, arms crossed over her chest. To make sure she really wasn’t seeing anything, Ryen got up from beside Minho and stood in front of her, eyes fixated on hers. Juvy nodded and signaled for the others to do anything different, just so that he would have what to describe.

        Just for the fun of it, Minho started to wave his hands around like a little kid, grin wide and eyes a startling green. “Minho is waving his hands like a crazed kid with green eyes.” Mjolnir gasped, amazed by this trick that the twins learned. He moved, signaling to Juvy that he wanted to go next. He mimed that he was eating out of a bowl, exaggerating with the gestures as he brought bites to his lips. “Mjolnir is eating.”

        “Goodness, that’s amazing.” Jonah muttered, awe glinting in his eyes. He looked around for the other’s reactions, observing that they agreed with him. With a laugh, Viva walked back to them and sat down, threading her fingers through her hair so she could bring it forward and play with it.

        “I told you we could do it with no spells. We actually learned this trick out of necessity because we needed a way to make sure there was no one around when we sneaked to either get weapons or food from around the house as our parents slept or while our instructors were patrolling during those initial years. Or whenever we wanted to practice magic after curfew.”

        “And it really worked?” Jonah leaned a bit forward, his eyes gleaming with admiration at what the younglings had achieved through sheer wit. Juvy nodded, launching into another story about how they’d once barely avoided an instructor.

        Seeing as the twins had been rather excited back when Mjolnir first mentioned his trips to the Human Realm, he chose to speak about his time spent there, although it led to a lot of arguments between him and Jonah about how the lands couldn’t possibly be that destroyed by wars and that humans considered everything to be the wrath or blessing of the gods. Mjolnir, having not been that interested with the humans whilst he’d been there, couldn’t come up with valid arguments to combat Jonah’s because he didn’t truly know enough about humans.

        Minho listened intently to them as they spoke, jumping when a sudden weight collapsed against his right shoulder. He turned slowly to look down, lips quirking a little upon seeing Ryen fast asleep with his head buried into Minho’s neck. Minho’s chest filled with triumph upon knowing  that the other was finally resting; he’d lost two nights just to make sure that they would be in top shape for tonight’s trial, leading to him being tired and sluggish; Minho could see it even though he tried to hide it. He was too busy making sure that Ryen wouldn’t fall as he slept to notice Viva’s look, but Juvy did, maybe even felt it, because he was quick to nudge her in the side and shake his head, tensing up when Viva gave a puff of anger before she buried her fingers into her robes and focused on Mjolnir as he continued to talk about humans, though she was no longer interested in the topic.

        “Did you guys know that I had met one of you prior to the team forming?” Minho started, gathering the attention of his teammates. Jonah grinned, already knowing the story, but the other three had no idea. “When I was in my first year, I was made to fight in the sand pit. I fought with Ryen and won. He was terrifying back then just because I’d never fought with someone like that, and to later learn that he would be my leader and that we’d be part of the same team, well, it came like a surprise. And then we met you guys, and it was wonderful, although I have to say Viva made the most impression on me out of all of you.” Protests arose from the guys around the fireplace, minus Ryen who had started to snore softly.

        “How can you say that?!” Mjolnir bristled up, his eyes glinting dangerously. Minho almost laughed if not for the fact that he would shake Ryen.

        “It’s because she managed to beat you all in arm wrestling.” Minho started to laugh at the looks of utter embarrassment upon his teammates faces, although he couldn’t get why they would be so stuck up on the fact that she whooped their asses. She’d done the same to Minho and he loved her for that.

        The light bickering and storytelling continued for at least half an hour more before almost everyone dozed off. Minho sighed gently and rearranged Ryen on his shoulder so he could sit up better before he started to twirl his fingers in the air, catching the grains of fog around them. Shadows gathered as well until he summoned his staff to lean against it. He trailed his eyes over the soft engravings into the wood, the green vines that clung to it with different carnations attached, the crystals that shone and vibrated with energy. He loved the staff even more plainly because he’d made it with his mother. The forest was silent except for the growl of Gows here and there and the tendrils of wind that fluttered through the silver leaves of the giant trees.

Now that everyone was asleep, the uneasy feeling crawled again towards Minho, dragging along his heart and mind. He wanted to reassure himself that the elders wouldn’t send every generation into dangerous quests, but he also knew that most elders barely cared about them, so he couldn’t do much to calm his own nerves.

        As he was about to doze off, a branch creaked above them, startling Minho. His back tensed, and as he looked up, he strained to see whether there was something in the tree or not. Like a shadow collapsing over them, a strange looking Gow flew from between the branches, fluttering its wings in front of them before it turned around to snarl in Minho’s face. Minho’s eyes widened as he scrambled backwards from the creature: it was no Gow, rather a strange combination between the features of a siren during hunting and a Gow; it had dark, sunken eyes, leathery wings with holes in them and chipped fangs. It seemed more dead than alive to Minho.

        As he collapsed with his back against a tree and with his staff raised, Minho failed to look around himself. When he finally did once the mutated Gow screeched and disappeared into the night, he saw that his teammates were all frozen in place, exactly how he’d left them a few second ago, Ryen even frozen with his head bent almost as if Minho’s shoulder was still there. The fire was extinguished as well and the fog that had been circling them had collapsed over them, covering his teammates in cocoons of dust and shadows. Minho could feel his heart rate picking up.

         _“Swyla…”_  Minho’s eyes opened wide. His usually dark eyes lit up instantly upon hearing the name spirits preferred to use when regarding shamans, specks of green and blue dancing into an eternal fire around his pupil. He looked around, but the voice lacked a body. It seemed to move around him, embracing him, breaching past his particle barrier. Or had he unwillingly allowed it in? “ _Swyla…”_  He heard the voice slithering in his mind again. Minho stilled when he felt a gentle hand brush past his chin, slim fingers sliding off his skin. He could feel coldness spreading through his entire body. He hated the feeling. His inner fire tried to warm him up, but he quenched that urge, knowing that it wasn’t safe to unleash his fire in the presence of spirits. The voice slithered again, making Minho shiver uneasily. Gripping onto his staff tighter, Minho got up, ready to clash with the spirit that had dared to do this to his friends. The particle barrier shimmered as Minho stepped outside, yet it did not disappear.

        Just as he turned around, Minho came face to face with the spirit that was calling to him.  He growled at her, staff poised and ready. She had long, white hair flowing down her body in waves, pinned to the sides of her head with thin twigs of blackness. Her body was dressed in ruby red vines that seemed to curl around her to cover her, patches of white skin visible here and there. She was floating above the ground, hands extended as if to grab at Minho but they remained there, away from him. What terrified Minho the most, always, were their eyes: hollows filled with pale light, remnants of what were once eyes watching him with indifference almost as though he wasn’t there. He hated that dull look. When the spirit simply vanished from in front of him, Minho cursed underneath his breath, gripping his staff tighter the more the cold feeling seeped into his body. He could feel his teeth clattering due to the iciness, goosebumps bursting all over his skin. The spirit kept on evading him, sneaking behind him, hissing, much to Minho’s displeasure, but he chose to tune it out. He had to focus on finding where it was.

        Stumbling when his boot entangled with a stray root, Minho grabbed upon a tree to stop himself from giving in to the gravity. At that moment, Minho realized that a trail of green, putrid fog had started to approach him from ahead, but to his shock, he found that he couldn’t move. He’d never faced malevolent spirits before during his training, so the initial shock of meeting one had caught him off guard, leaving him open to attacks such as this one.

        Minho tried to get his feet to move, hoping that he could somehow attack the spirit and stop it, but his body was frozen. When had it gotten so cold? Minho felt around the bark of the tree, but his fingers were numb. He could feel his fire burning even more under his skin, praying to be released, but he couldn’t allow it. He had to move forward and then call his team. He had to…

        He took a step forward and started to descend towards the frozen ground.

        “Minho!”  A voice shouted but he couldn’t really hear through the booming of his heart. He felt fear wash over him. What had that spirit done to him?! He should’ve listened to Mjolnir, should’ve stopped communicating with them, should’ve raised his shield like the others-

****

        When Ryen woke up, he didn’t expect to find the spot next to him empty, Minho nowhere in sight. The embers of the fire were still giving off warmth, fending away the coldness, and the particle barrier was still strong, protecting them against the harsh winds.

        “Guys, wake up!” Ryen shouted when his mind cleared more. Something had happened with Minho. “Minho’s gone.” Ryen said as soon as everyone was awake, Jonah instantly getting up to wander outside the particle barrier. Ryen extended a hand to catch him, and when Jonah looked back, his eyes were burning with anger at whatever had taken Minho. “We have to go and look for him, but we can’t go without protection. Mjolnir, will you?” Mjolnir was already reaching into his pack, pulling out a wooden box with engravings that to this day Ryen could not decipher. He handed them each a green pill, ushering them to take it quickly without thinking. They listened to him and tried to swallow it as fast as possible, but Juvy was too slow and the herbs got stuck down his esophagus, making him cough and whine at the sudden sour taste.

        “I told you to be fast kid.” Mjolnir said, sounding almost apologetic. “I’ll go with Jonah, Juvy you’re with Viva. Ryen, you’ll go alone. Good luck and may we find him.” Ryen would’ve stepped up to give instructions, but he knew Mjolnir would be better at this. After all, he would’ve tried to keep everyone together to keep them safe. With a nod to his teammates and friends, Ryen ran off into the woods, praying that Minho was safe.

        It was as though he was blindfolded, from the way he stumbled through roots and rocks. He hated how bumpy and rough the Silver Forest soils were, and there was no clear path either. He was running blindly through, until a spark of pain reached through his armband. They’d received each an armband at the beginning of the night that would notify them of their teammates’ states of health. He placed his hand over it, focusing on the pain. He was almost certain it was Minho.

        When he got a clear trail, Ryen started running again, not at all caring about the thin branches with thorns that cut away at his skin. He ran and ran until he came by a tall, old tree against which Minho was leaning. From that distance, he could hear Minho murmuring something with a shaky tone.  _Give them back…give me my team back…_

        “Minho!” Ryen shouted, hoping that the other would hear him, but it seemed as though the fog was making it difficult for that to happen. He shouted again, and this time Minho flinched as if he’d heard him.

****

        “Minho!” There was that voice again. Minho strained against the coldness to focus on it. To his dismay and anger, the odd fog was getting closer and closer and he could not do anything. Four steps…Three steps…

        A hand suddenly grasped at his shoulder and pulled him away from the tree and against a sturdy surface as Ryen dragged Minho into his side, his other hand tensing and reaching out for the spirit, face twisted with rage. He growled at the spirit and suddenly, the winds around them picked up, twisting and turning violently, the ground shuddering underneath them. With the twisting winds latching onto the fog, the spirit started to scream, the screams dying down only as the winds dragged the spirit into the crevice that formed as a result of the earthquake.

        With the spirit literally buried, Ryen focused back on Minho, his other hand coming around his waist to support most of his weight. Minho was still pretty much out of it, but with the sudden feeling of arms holding him tightly against something warm-  _something warm-_ “Woah!” Ryen exclaimed as Minho clung to him as though he was his lifeline. He dragged Ryen against him, encompassing him in his arms and shoving his face in his neck, cold skin meeting warmth. “ _Holy deity you feel like an iceberg, what the hell happened?!”_  Ryen exclaimed, furious and worried at the same time. He could feel the remnants of the spirit, could see the frozen ground underneath their feet…could feel Minho shivering in his arms. With a hopeful prayer to the deities, Ryen dug his fingers in Minho’s back and exhaled.

        If Minho had been in his right mind, he would’ve noticed how Ryen’s hands had grown hotter, how his back had lit up, the blue veins beneath his skin turning to red as he warmed Minho up to his very core. But he wasn’t, so he didn’t even realize it. “I-It t-tried to k-kill y-y-you…” Minho stuttered out, before exhaling heavily and burying his face in Ryen’s clothes again where it was warm, away from the coldness and the glares of the spirits. Ryen felt a surge of protectiveness was over him as he held Minho against him, glaring at the tendrils of white that jumped among the trees. He couldn’t see the other spirits, but he was sure they were watching. They remained there for almost half an hour more until Minho warmed up enough to walk back towards camp.

        He was almost dead weight against Ryen, but he couldn’t complain at all. He was only glad that he’d found Minho. Well…he could complain about the fact that it would’ve been easier and faster to walk back to camp had Minho accepted to be carried bridal style.

        When they arrived, the fire was stronger, burning almost on its own now, although with no solid explanation. The others had yet to return, and the particle barrier was slowly dying out. Almost as soon as they’d passed through the particle barrier, Minho had passed out and Ryen couldn’t do anything other than lay the other down on the ground and covering him with his own outer robe. To his growing worry, Minho started to shiver, a light sheen of sweat covering his skin

        “Did you find him?!” Mjolnir shouted almost as soon as he saw signs of fire and a raven haired by it, trying to tame it somehow. His steps skidded to a stop when his eyes found Minho, laid down and covered with Ryen’s robe, eyes moving rapidly underneath closed lids. “Minho!” Mjolnir murmured, running over to the youngster and crouching down, hand gently reaching out to check for a fever. Mjolnir got burned when his skin came in contact with Minho’s, a glacial coldness lingering.

        “You look…terrified.” Ryen spoke, his words more of a question rather than a statement, as Jonah ran through the particle barrier as well, going over to Mjolnir. Seeing as the eldest was too busy figuring out what was wrong with Minho, Jonah exhaled heavily and explained how they’d found Minho deeper into the third layer fighting with a strange looking Gow. When they’d gone over to help him fight the creature off, the thing that looked like Minho turned around and screeched at them along with the Gow before disappearing.

        When Juvy and Viva returned from the second layer of the forest, they relayed a similar story, with a Minho that tried to attack them before disappearing. As soon as Ryen managed to tame the fire a bit by reducing the oxygen from around it, they moved Minho closer to the fire and sat down around him, Jonah holding Minho’s head gently in his lap, his palms emitting a soft red glow from where they were pressed on either side of Minho’s face. He was trying to bring up his temperature, but it didn’t help much.

        “Why would it target only Minho?” Juvy questioned, frowning at his white knuckles, eyes glossy and lips pulled in a thin line. Mjolnir rumbled deeply, anger barely there in his looks yet present, green specks tainting the deep blues of his eyes.

        “Why can’t this pup listen for once in his life…” He muttered lowly, staring at Minho with a lost look. He’d warned Minho about the forest and the need for a shield, but did he listen? Nope, because Minho wanted to feel everything for himself, because he considered that they would find more clues that way. “Foolish pup…” Mjolnir heaved a sigh and got up, body tense and hands trembling. He walked no further than the edge of the particle, staring blankly outside at the threatening forest.

        Viva remained silent until then, Jonah noted, and as Mjolnir got up to leave their side, her eyebrows rose, yet she did not say a thing. Seconds passed and Juvy turned to look at her, sensing her shock and distress. “Are you going to tell us what you’re thinking?” Ryen inquired gently, looking them both in the eyes, gasping silently when their eyes lit up.

        “It was a test!” Even Mjolnir turned back to look at them, one eyebrow quirking.

        “A test?”

        “Yes! The spirit was testing us to see whether we would risk our lives to save Minho! When we met Minho, before he turned around to attack us, there were several small creatures attacking him, and even though we were only two, we went head on to fight, thinking that we had to save him. And you, Ryen, you said you saved him from a spirit on your own, opening a rift in the earth and pulverizing it with your wind. You used a strong spell despite your enemy being a simple spirit. And you two, you said that Minho was fighting a Gow. Did you tell us everything or did you leave out details?” Viva’s gaze was scrutinizing, forcing Mjolnir and Jonah to think back to when they’d found Minho. Both had been surprised and glad that they’d found him, overlooking most of their surroundings, but-

        “If I remember well, there wasn’t only one mutated Gow. There were three others resting in the trees, watching Minho and that creature fight. I remember because almost as soon as I saw Minho is summoned my fire and shot at the Gow, making it screech. The other three got illuminated by the shot. Mjolnir, didn’t you rush to my left after that?”

        “I guess I did. I had thought that I’d seen something coming for both you and Minho, so I tried to block them, but the shadow just disappeared…”

        “I was right! And since we got Minho back, it means that we passed the test.”

        “But why test us?”

        “To prove that we’re worthy.”

        “By injuring one of us?! That’s sick.”

        “It might be sick, but the purest emotions are revealed in dire times. It was all strategically thought. The spirit probably reached out to Minho because he’s the easiest to contact and lure away through sheer energy since he’s so sensible to it.”

        “Test or no test, he’s still not recovering-“ Jonah started saying, instantly jumping away from Minho when he got up with a ragged cough. He started to tremble from the force of his coughs, his eyes burning brightly. He grasped at his own chest, struggling to breathe, and in seconds, he collapsed back on the ground, chest rising and falling rapidly, eyes wet with tears. A green trail of fog left from his body and everyone stepped away from it as if slithered away under the particle barrier.

        “Minho!” Juvy shouted and rushed back to his side, placing a hand on his abdomen to hold him down, another resting against his cheek. “Thank deities that you’re alright now.” Juvy spoke shakily, hiding his face in Minho’s chest just as he started to cry. With a tremble in his hand, Minho settled it over Juvy, holding him against him as he cried. Mjolnir settled down on Minho’s right, next to Ryen, all traces of anger gone now that Minho was awake and with them.

        “Why do you never listen pup?” Mjolnir queried, brushing Minho’s hair away from his eyes with gentle moves as to not move him too much. Minho gave a wet laugh and tried to grin at them somehow reassuringly though it wasn’t really working.

        “I’m really sorry guys…the spirit, it trapped me while I was close to falling asleep and tricked me into thinking that you guys were…trapped in that fog. I went after it to fight it so that you guys would be released, but…I couldn’t move. My body was frozen and…I’ve never felt like that before. It was really strange.”

        “So the spirit actually attacked you?” Viva asked, confused as to why it would attack him as a sort of test. Minho nodded, confirming.

        “It was most likely a malevolent spirit. You’ve never met one before so of course you would be scared after something like this. That coldness…it appears when a spirit tries to feed off of you. Shamans are more sensitive to such things than fairies or changelings, maybe with the exception of mermaids. That’s why I told you that you would need a shield. They wouldn’t be able to attack you with a shield on, no matter how weak. You should listen next time, yeah?” Minho nodded, feeling as though he was little again and getting scolded by his father for not listening to him.

        With a pleased hum, Mjolnir got up on his knees and crawled closer to Minho, his eyes glowing a dark blue with green specks, hands reaching out to rest atop Minho’s chest. Juvy moved away, watching with wide eyes as Mjolnir summoned sparks of electricity and sent them through Minho’s body, making him shout in surprise as a shield surrounded him.

        It was a strange feeling, having someone else raise a shield around you, though for whatever reason, he felt safe inside it, almost as if Mjolnir was holding him under his heavy wings whenever they were out reckoning the areas around Grühlhfir during sudden assaults from demons and it started to rain.

        “There. Now you’ll have this shield until tomorrow and be protected from whatever spirit might try to attack you. And next time we’ll get a trial like this one, I won’t let you leave the cabin without your shield on.”

        “Aye mom.” Minho retorted with a teasing smile, his eyes relaying how thankful he was for their help. Mjolnir nodded and moved to sit with his back against one of the trees, knee propped up and hands clasped behind his back. Viva and Juvy flanked Minho’s sides, resting next to him and cuddling up to him to warm him up faster,their wings spreading out and covering Minho, while Ryen leaned with his back against the tree right next to them. Jonah continued to warm Minho up with his fire, glad to feel that the other was already getting better.

        “We’ll rest now, and after that we’ll go looking for the spirit. Now that we passed the test, it shouldn’t do anything else.” Ryen muttered, looking around for the others to see if they had something else in mind. When they all agreed, Ryen closed his eyes, although he couldn’t allow himself to fall into a slumber. Not after how easily Minho had been lured out.

         _Thanks for finding me._  Ryen almost opened his eyes as he heard Minho in his mind, a smile slowly spreading across his lips.

         _Always._

****

        Slowly, Minho opened his eyes. His left one first, careful enough so that he could peek around, and then his right one. He felt his stomach drop at the sight before him: he was back in the forest.

        He could feel his body this time, and the air was not quite as cold as it had been. He summoned his staff and started to walk ahead. The campfire and his teammates were nowhere in sight, and this time, he felt as though he could take on whatever was ahead. Clashing with that spirit had done him good at least.

        There was movement to his right, and when he turned to look, a shadow escaped towards his left. He twisted, staff pointed, energy surging through his veins. The fog cleared up, and the air got warmer. The forest regained some of the beauty that it presented during the day, the leaves glistening and the Gows glowing in the soft darkness. One Gow flew from the tree towards Minho and he did not flinch as it settled onto his shoulder. He grinned as it cooed and nudged his cheek with its beak. Those were the Gows that Minho knew and liked.

        “ **I’m sorry you had to go through that.** ” A velvety voice spoke from somewhere deep in the forest. Minho looked around cautiously; he couldn’t sense anything dangerous around, although that didn’t make him relax at all. “ **I had to test your teammates. They passed**.” The voice spoke again, this time closer to Minho. When the Gow flew away from him, Minho turned around to look behind him. His eyes widened as he took in the ethereal boy with eyes as blue as the sky and golden locks that seemed to defy gravity. Upon closer inspection, Minho realized that the air around them had been replaced with water. He patted his hair with his hand, only to find out that it was floating as well. What a strange preference.

        Minho went to speak, clearing his throat. “What do you mean by that? And why only them?”

        “ **I can sense his presence on you. You’ve spent time under his protection in his caverns, haven’t you?** ” Minho frowned, confused beyond belief. Who was the spirit talking about? “ **It doesn’t matter.** ” It responded almost as though it’d heard Minho’s thoughts. “ **Your energy is pure, as is your soul. I deemed it unnecessary to test you, because you wear your heart on your sleeves. Now go, young kit. Join the others. You’ve yet to find me…”**  The voice drifted away just as the spirit disappeared, leaving Minho alone in the forest.

        “ _Swyla…”_ Minho remained calm as he heard the same voice that had tricked him into the forest call to him. He remained in place, waiting until the spirit walked to stand in front of him. Her face had lost the sharp edges and her eyes were…the same, yet something about them made them no longer unnerving for Minho. “ _I apologize._ ” The spirit bowed her head and brushed his cheek gently before she disappeared, the dreamscape dissolving along with her.

        The first thing he saw after escaping from the dream was Ryen. He was glancing down at Minho, hand raised as if he’d checked for a fever. Juvy and Viva were no longer next to him, yet he was feeling warm. There were no more traces of the earlier coldness.

        “You’re back with us.” Ryen grinned, helping Minho up. Mjolnir had fallen asleep at some point with his blade sharpener in his hands, and Jonah as well, with Viva’s head in his lap.

        “Where’s Juvy?” He was the only one missing from around.

        “You’ve been asleep for almost an hour and the fire started to dim so he went to grab wood.”

        “Couldn’t Jonah fuel up the fire?”

        “He could, but Juvy didn’t want to wake him and Viva up.”

        Minho turned to look at the forest, surprised to see that the fog was gone. The night sky seemed a lot clearer to him as well, and the silver leaves seemed to glisten in the moonlight. It almost resembled his dream, although there was no water.

        Ryen watched Minho carefully for any signs that he was not feeling well, but they were gone, Minho just as healthy and strong as he was at the beginning of the night. Whatever that spirit had done to him…the effects had passed. Ryen’s eyes widened when Minho sprinted off all of a sudden towards the forest, his robes flying in the air as he jumped over a fallen log.

        “Wait!” Ryen shouted after him, running as fast as he could after the two azure lights, the only things visible in the night. When he got close enough to see Minho’s face, he was pleasantly surprised to see that he was grinning like mad, canines and all, his eyes moving quickly to assess everything around him like a predator, as if he was looking for something.

        “Come on!” Minho shouted back at him, twirling his staff with scary precision as he became a mere shadow of green and blue as he started to run even faster. Ryen cursed softly underneath his breath, summoning his own staff and following in Minho’s footsteps. Faintly, he heard Juvy groan and exclaim something, followed by a shout of pain from Mjolnir.

        As the adrenaline coursed through him, Ryen started to laugh, a gasp soon following as grains of blue dust started to show up to his left and right, tainting silver. The further they ran, the more the amount of dust grew, until they came to a sudden stop in front of the biggest tree that Ryen had ever seen in the Silver Forest. Minho steadied himself against one of the nearby trunks, breathing harshly. His azure eyes took in the traces of wings around the meadow, the blue leaves of the tree and the scratches that seemed to adorn its body.

        “Why did you sprint off-“

        “The spirit we’re looking for visited me in a dreamscape. He said that I should wake up and that we’ve yet to find him, and after I woke up, I sensed it. Somehow. And I couldn’t afford to lose the trail.”

        “But the others?”

        “Look.” Minho signaled behind them without even looking, going over to the tree to dab his fingers in the dust. He sneezed when he sniffed the dust, his features scrunching up as he sneezed again. Ryen looked back in the general direction from which we came and found that a trail of green had remained, leading all the way back to camp, if Ryen had to guess. “Come here for a second.” Minho muttered, waving a hand in Ryen’s general direction. “Don’t you think this is a bit too big for a butterfly?” The shaman pointed towards the claw marks that rested right at the base of trunk, eyebrows furrowed. He traced the marks with his own claws, noting with surprise that they were almost similar.

        “Hybrids…” Minho heard Ryen mutter behind him, but as he turned around to ask how he knew, the creature appeared. It had brilliantly blue wings and a strong body, long antennas stretching ahead of it as if to evaluate the area around. The body was covered in golden scales, and the small, thin limbs attached to it were coated in dust. Those small black eyes were watching both Ryen and Minho carefully, even as it started to fly around them, not approaching. “So that’s what it was!” Ryen perked up all of a sudden, eyes widening with recognition. He’d felt that energy prior to Minho waking up, circling them and watching them curiously from among the shadows of the trees.

        “That was what?” Minho turned around quickly to look at Ryen, eyes fleeting over to the creature from time to time.

        “The spirit had been circling us while you were asleep. And you mentioned that it reached out to you while you were sleeping. I wonder…” Ryen trailed off, staring at the spirit before twisting to look up at Minho. With glistening eyes, Ryen reached forward and snapped his fingers before trailing them down Minho’s cheek, leaving traces of amber behind. “Wow…” Ryen’s words were breathless, lips pulled into a small smile. Minho felt more and more confused by the seconds.

        Ryen had been surprised not by the creature, nor by the claw marks left by hybrids that had probably hid at some point in the Silver Forest, but by Minho’s eyes: almost as soon as Ryen had conjured up the spell and had left traces of it on Minho’s cheek, the veins underneath started to glow, before Minho’s eyes lit up a multitude of colors. “You’ve spent time in the Crystal Caverns, haven’t you?” Minho froze, eyes widening in fear and surprise. He tried to step backwards, but Ryen was already there, grasping at his wrists loosely with his fingers, cooing gently. “Hey, hey, stop that. I won’t tell anyone. You don’t have to worry about me being a spy. I’ve had to deal with those most of my childhood. My uncle passed through the same test in his generation, and the creature did the same to him and his team. I only remembered once you went back to sleep. Something had been trying to warn me all night, but I couldn’t remember until then. This spirit is drawn to those that have spent time in the Crystal Caverns during their childhood. It’s probably why it hadn’t gone closer to us. He was studying you.” If they could’ve widened more, Minho’s eyes would’ve. He turned to look back at the creature as if it would confirm, but it remained silent. He looked back at Ryen, and his heart just in his throat as he saw the look of admiration that adorned Ryen’s face. Minho jumped lightly when Ryen moved one of his hands from his wrist to his cheek so he could trace under his eye, humming to himself.

        “You have beautiful eyes when your essence is brought forth. They wear all the colors that we know, and they shine so brightly…” Ryen spoke slowly, as if he was mesmerized purely by Minho’s eyes. The other had no idea how to respond, still at conflict with himself. His father had told him not to tell anyone about his time in the Crystal Caverns, yet there was Ryen, who’d discovered it without Minho even saying something. He had no other choice but to trust the other, yet Minho felt as though that was a choice on its own. He trusted Ryen more than he would like to admit to others. There was just something about him…

        “The others! We gotta get them here!”

        “They should get here any second now. The trail doesn’t go for that long-“

        “You asshole!” Minho shouted as a force collided with him, sending him to the ground. He scrunched his eyes tight as he collapsed, opening them slowly to find Juvy atop him, with fingers twisted in his robes. “What if something happened again?!” Juvy’s eyes were shining with fury, his knuckles white from how tight he was grasping at Minho.

        “I had to follow the trail as soon as it presented. I knew what I was doing this time. The spirit spoke to me in a dreamscape.”

        “Not good enough a reason for you to worry us again.”

        “Sorry.” Juvy kept on staring at him for a few minutes more, before sighing heavily and collapsing atop him to hug him tightly.

        “Please stop doing that.”

        “I can’t promise anything. You know how reckless I tend to be.” Minho had always said those words in a teasing manner, though recently he started to fear that they were becoming more and more real.

        “Wow.” He heard from behind as Viva stepped through the trees, her eyes taking in the blue dust that seemed to fly everywhere, even as the creature stood still. Juvy got up from Minho and helped him up, finally taking a good look at the spirit.

        “Is it even real or is it a figment of our imagination?” Juvy asked, stepping reluctantly closer.  _Kneel_. They all heard the command in their minds; the voice was deep and smooth, commanding and reassuring at the same time. They all walked before the butterfly and knelt in line, bowing their head before the ancient spirit.

       Faintly, Jonah remembered what their instructor had said.  _Once you find the beast, it will analyze every inch of you, and should it find you worthy, shall bathe you in dust shed underneath moonlight, the purest of all. You won’t get another chance like this._

To their utter surprise, the creature started to  _sing._  The time around them seemed to slow down as the melodious voice surrounded them, embracing them and guiding them, and almost immediately, their own voices started to resonate with the creature’s. From above, a pale ray of moonlight escaped through the branches of the trees, and then, the creature straightened its back and extended its antennas, catching the beams of light. With a flutter of its wings, the light exploded into dust that covered them from head to toe, only to form a crown on their foreheads.  _Rise and live_. The creature said before disappearing into thin air, leaving behind no evidence of ever being there.

        “Was that even real?” Mjolnir requested, wide eyes staring blankly ahead.

        “I’ve got no idea.” Jonah murmured, breathless for whatever reason. He looked around at his teammates and noted that it was, in fact, reality, for on their forehead there were crowns of white aurum metal covered in the purest dust that he’d ever seen, each crown different. He couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on Minho, whose eyes were azure and bright, his face covered in luminous marks that connected with the crown at his temples and ran down his neck. When Minho caught his eyes, he smiled brightly, raising his staff in the air. Jonah did the same and bowed towards Minho slowly, a teasing smile on his lips.

        “We did it…” Viva’s voice was soft at first, surprised and unsure, but the second time she said that, it was louder and brighter. “We did it! We found the creature!” She cheered and jumped up to her feet, fists pumping into the air. They all joined her, Mjolnir even raising the twins up on his shoulders and spinning them around.

        “Guys, how are we going to get back?” Juvy inquired, bringing forth the true question: the creature had teleported them after the ritual, almost as soon as it disappeared, and now there was no trace to follow like there’d been with Minho and Ryen…so how will they get back?

****

        “Silence, everyone… Thank you. Now, those that were sent tonight to meet with the creature, come forth!” One of the instructors spoke from the wooden platform, staring silently as a group of shamans gathered up front. When the instructor gave way for them to get up on the platform, everyone started to cheer and clap, congratulating them on their success. They were all gathered a few feet away from Grühlhfir, wooden supports and sturdy leaves playing the roles of tables and chairs for the Fae gathered to celebrate. They were shielded from the pitter pater of the pink rain by a thin green veil stretched above them by the wood spirits. The sun slowly climbed across the sky, illuminating the small droplets of water that gathered atop the veil.

        Almost as soon as he returned back to his seat, Minho was assaulted with questions from their instructor, the woman wishing to learn everything, from how they’d found the creature to what’d happened next. He’d gotten a few minutes after returning to the cabins to change into something clean before having to go with the others to meet with the instructors. He was wearing common clothes now, made out of a black silky material that fit Minho perfectly and allowed him to move freely, his knife strapped to his thigh and a belt tied across his middle with a small pouch in which he carried a set of enchanted stones, gift from Woyid’s mate. His shoes were a mix of leather and string, climbing up his calves where he tied the strings tightly until it hugged his legs just the way he liked it. The markings that he’d received from the spirit were still there, lightly curling around his temples and his cheeks, down his chin and neck. He couldn’t help but wonder for how long he’d have to wear them.

        The crown rested heavily atop his head, sometimes falling into his eyes if he moved too suddenly, annoying him a little. Even though he’d spent the entire night out wandering through the Forest and fighting off spirits and weird sensations, Minho felt more than rested, almost refreshed. He blamed it on that strange dust.

        His ten years had passed, and that meant he could see his parents now, yet they were still not visiting because they were caught up with the elders in whatever had happened recently. Minho couldn’t do anything about it, especially since it involved Hybrids. He hated what the elders did to them, yet he had no way of stopping it. Thoughts about it kept circling around Minho’s mind, saddening him even more. He was certain there was something in the waters served that made him sad.

        Woyid was missing too, for nine months now. He hadn’t even bothered to tell Minho where he would be going, or that he would be going away at all. He’d learned from a scout that Woyid had told the elders that he had to go to the Human Realm for almost a year for a reckoning mission to help his exiled aunt, or something like that. It sounded weird to Minho’s ears, almost as though it was a fake reason meant to hide something else. He wouldn’t question Woyid’s actions, but he would question whether he was safe or not.

        Mulling over his own thoughts, he couldn’t help but think back to when he was younger and Woyid took him away from his home to teach him new spells and to share with him stories from when he and Minho’s parents were younger and more reckless, always laughing and pointing out similarities between them and Minho, claiming that he was worse than all of them combined. Woyid had even told Minho once that he was like a son to him, and that he would always look after him even after he formed his own family and clan. Woyid’s voice had been filled with love and care as he claimed that, smiling at Minho and hugging him tightly as though he would disappear the next day. Minho sniffed.

        There was definitely something in the water.

        “You okay in there?” Viva’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. He turned to look at her. She was wearing a pale purple dress, her wings curled around her body, hair caught in a top knot with golden flowers tied around it, the crown settled across her forehead perfectly. Hers was a thin crown with a crescent in the middle, crystals clinging from the crescent and hanging precisely down the middle of her forehead. She’d allowed her eyes to shine with her powers, the red and blue mingling so much it almost became purple in color.

        “I’m fine. Just thinking.” The rest of their team was hanging out at the table off to the right side filled with foods of all types, chatting and gathering just enough to bring back to their own table, while Minho rested with his head atop his hands on the table, a pout on his face because Juvy had insisted he stayed there to rest. His own wings were allowed loose, obscuring him from the others, the tips covering his face so that he could concentrate on his thoughts. He’d raised one of them so he could look at Viva, but sooner than she liked, he dropped it back down, cuddling into his feathers more. She was tempted to pluck one of his feathers just to get him to sit up straight, but something about the look in his eyes stopped her. With a sigh, Viva got up from the table and used her wings to reach her team faster, maneuvering around the tables.

        “Hey Viva. Do you want this or this.” Jonah asked as soon as he saw her, holding up two different fruits. She waved her hand dismissively, grabbing both fruits and slamming them into her plate. Jonah flinched.

        “Something’s wrong with Minho. He looks…upset, and lost. Have either of you seen Woyid around? Or Kyko?”

        “Kyko and Vivienne are busy with the elders and Woyid…is right there?” Mjolnir trailed off, shocked, looking over Viva’s shoulder at someone. She turned around quickly, squealing when she saw Woyid. She ran over to him, leaving the guys behind. Ryen and Jonah shared a look before following after her. 

        “Woyid!” Viva exclaimed, jumping towards him so she could throw her arms around him in a tight hug, her wings encircling them. Woyid grinned, although there was something off about the way he smiled and the way he stood. He was too tense for a ceremony.

        “Hey Viva. I see you passed the trial.” Woyid said, pointing towards her crown. He looked behind at the crowns the others wore, counting in his mind, brow furrowing when he noticed that Minho wasn’t with them. “Where’s Minho?”

        “That’s the thing. He’s sitting at our table but he’s pretty upset and we don’t really know what’s wrong with him.” Ryen explained, rubbing at the back of his neck whilst averting his eyes. He felt guilty, but he didn’t even know why.

        “Ah, I think I know.” Woyid muttered, giving them a tight smile before he pushed through the leaves and tables to reach Minho. He recognized him by his wings, mainly his right one where one of his feathers was lighter in color. “Is this any way to celebrate? I thought I taught you better.” Minho jumped upwards immediately, his wings stretching, causing him to lose his balance and almost fall from the leaf. He grabbed onto Woyid’s sleeve and straightened himself, regaining his balance. He stood up instantly, eyes wide and worried, feathers bristled and snapped open.

        “Where were you? I heard from a scout that you went to the Human Realm to help your aunt, but that seemed so farfetched to my ears and I started to worry! And I learned of this this morning and I had no idea where you’ve been for the past nine months and- what if something had happened to you? I wouldn’t’ve known!” Woyid raised his hands as if to tell Minho to calm down, but he couldn’t. It was as if the dam broke, releasing each and every one of Minho’s worries. He kept on talking until Woyid started to smile gently and placed a hand atop his head, effectively stopping Minho’s rant. The youngling looked up, eyes as wide as a deer’s caught in the headlights, fingers trembling at his side. With a shaky exhale, Minho basically collapsed in Woyid’s arms, hugging him as tightly as possible. Ever since arriving there, Woyid smiled truly for the first time, burying his face in Minho’s dark brown locks, enjoying the scent of home.

        “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It was of utmost importance that my leave remained a secret. I can’t tell you why I had to leave, so I need you to trust my word. Everything will be fine.” Woyid released Minho from his embrace, placing his hands on his shoulders firmly, forcing him to look up. Minho started at him with teary eyes, trying to listen to his uncle. Nodding to show that he’d understood, Minho reached up to place his fingers around Woyid’s wrist, a ripple of pain going through his body at the touch, cutting his breath. Woyid’s own eyes widened, instantly trying to remove Minho’s hand, but the other had caught on to the fact that the pain wasn’t his own. It was Woyid’s. “How…” Minho started, lightheaded from the surge of emotions, grasping onto Woyid tighter.

        “It’s nothing, little rover. Enjoy the feast, you’ve earned it.” Minho gasped mutely at the old nickname, his heart clenching. “I’ll be more than fine if you smile. Smile?” Woyid reached out, trying to reassure Minho that he would be alright. He really would be, once Minho smiled. He would be, once he talked with Kyko and they went to the Feory Lands. Everything will be fine.

        Minho gave in, lips tilting upwards with great difficulty. Despite having a weight removed from his heart with seeing Woyid safe and fine, another added right up with the worry of why Woyid was in so much emotional pain. Once Woyid claimed that he would go to bring wine over to them so that they could all tell him how they’d passed, Minho collapsed into his chair, hands grasping at his hair. He wanted to help, wanted to know what was wrong so badly.

        Wordlessly, Ryen sat down next to Minho. He placed a supportive hand on the other’s shoulder, relaying to him that he was there for him and that he wasn’t alone through whatever he was feeling. Mjolnir and the others sat down around Minho, and despite them not looking directly at him, he could feel them all reaching out to him, reassuring him. He felt like crying as he was reminded what a great team he had.

        Woyid was right. It was a time to celebrate, not to be sad. Minho raised his head high and folded his wings gently behind him, no longer on the defensive. He leaned back in his seat and gave his team a soft smile. Of course they would have his back.

****

        The grounds outside were wet and filled with puddles from the earlier rain. Woyid grunted as he almost slipped for the umpteenth time; he reached out for the nearby loose vines to steady himself.

        It was mainly his fault for choosing such a difficult area to meet up, but the information that he needed to speak about was really dangerous and if heard by the wrong people, well…it wouldn’t do good.

        “Kyko?” Woyid inquired of the thick forest once he reached the appointed place, holding onto one of the tree trunks, hair plastered to his forehead with the lingering drops of rain. His grey eyes ran over the dense forest through the darkness, hoping to see Kyko, but it was impossible even with his heightened vision.

        After several minutes, he located Kyko far easier than he’d expected: his clan mate arrived at the clearing by fighting through the vines and tall bushes, curses following in his trail. Woyid shook his head and buried his face in his hands. Typical Kyko.

        “Woyid? You asked for us to meet?”

        “Yes.” Woyid remained silent after that, unnerving Kyko. He could see the distress written all over his friend’s face, and from the looks of it, he’d called him for serious matters. “Eleven months ago” Woyid began, Kyko walking closer to hear the other better. “I was warned by a Flügelyr fairy that my mate would be having a child.” Kyko sucked in a breath, his eyes lighting up with surprise and joy, but it soon washed away as the look of distress remained on Woyid’s face. He allowed the other to continue. “Since my mate is a changeling, there are half and half chances that our child would be a changeling or not. The Flügelyr fairy warned me that my child will be a changeling, that his powers will endanger him and that the elders will try to capture him. I hid my mate until she gave birth to our child in the Human Realm, and nine months have passed, and…it’s a baby boy, Kyko. So beautiful and small and fragile…he looked up at us with such joy and happiness. He’s a dragon changeling. I need to take him to the Feory Lands to my sister. I can’t have him live with me and my mate out of fear that the elders will discover him. They rarely go to the Feory Lands and-“

        “Say no more, brother.” Kyko exclaimed all of a sudden, leaping forward and grasping Woyid’s hand with his, clasping them together tightly, expression determined and wonderfully protective of him. “I’ll help you however you can to take your boy to safety. We shall leave as fast as possible. What’s your plan?”

        “We need to go to the Human Realm to retrieve him. Then, we’ll head for the Feory Lands.” Kyko nodded, placing his other hand on Woyid’s shoulder. In an instant, Woyid placed his fingers around Kyko’s neck and brought him forward until they were resting their forehead together. With a shaky exhale, Woyid reached up and wiped the single tear that had gathered at the corner of his eye, nodding at Kyko with determination. They could do this. Just like old times.

****

       Minho shifted in his bed, restless. It wasn’t even morning, yet he was wide awake, staring at the ceiling and moving around in his bed. He couldn’t help it; Woyid had gone somewhere, yet again without telling him where. No one knew either, and it’d been days. And to add salt to the wound, his father was missing as well. Vivienne had told the elders that the two had traveled to the Human Realm for something, but that was far too vague to settle Minho’s nerves. He itched to do something, to go and ask around so that he could find out more, but something told him that it wasn’t wise to do so. Because of that voice, he was stranded alone with his worries in his bed.

        Where would both Kyko and Woyid go, surrounded by so much secrecy? And to the Human Realm nonetheless… Minho turned around again and twisted until he was sitting up in his bed, the thin blanket pooling around his waist. His hair was a mess, sticking in all directions. The cabin was still shrouded in darkness, the very few rays of moonlight that did get inside too weak to illuminate much. Dragging his fingers through his brown locks, Minho looked around the cabin. Everyone was asleep and bundled up in their blankets, breathing softly, Juvy even snoring a little.

        With a frown, Minho got up when he noticed that Mjolnir’s blanket was not moving with his breathing. As he came closer, he got why: Mjolnir had placed his blanket over several pillows, and the man himself was not in bed. With a few grumbled words, Minho walked outside the cabin, his bare feet stepping across the cold stone path. He found Mjolnir a few meters away from the cabin, resting with his back against a tree trunk, knee raised and elbow propped against it, and of course, a cigar trapped between his fingers. His hair was tied up messily, and his eyes hooded.

        The forest was oddly quiet, the soft glowing bugs floating through the sweet breezes of wind nonchalantly, the colorful leaves swaying gently along with them. From his spot at the line between forest and cabin grounds, Minho could see both Gows and Flufs resting among the branches. Flufs were the opposite of Gows in terms of looks. Where Gows had spiky wings and pointy tails, Flufs had feathery wings with fuzz along the edges and softer feathers that grew to be long in place of an actual tail. Whenever a Fluf flew, their tail gave the impression of thousands of dandelion fluffs floating in the wind. The Flufs were far more elegant than Gows both in the tones of their voices and in the way they flew. The Flufs were also smaller, with small beaks and skin covered in short fuzz, their antennas just as long yet curled downwards, and they lacked the tendrils around their beaks that illuminated their way. Instead, they had dots all over their bodies that glowed during the night and eyes as blue as the pond where mermaids loved to swim during the soft hours of the morning. In comparison, Gows had white eyes.

        Quietly, Minho walked over to Mjolnir and sat down next to him, sighing only after he was seated. To his amusement, Mjolnir jumped when he finally saw Minho, eyes comically wide and mouth agape, a puff of smoke escaping through his nostrils as he almost screamed.

        “Minho?!” He asked once he could breathe again, cigar clasped between his fingers and away from them, as though he was trying to hide it. Minho simply yawned and leaned further against the tree, closing his eyes and humming as he settled more comfortably. Mjolnir continued to look at him with wide eyes and once he was sure the other wouldn’t open his eyes, exhaled the smoke through the corner of his mouth before relaxing back against the tree. “Can’t sleep?” He asked, peeking down at Minho when the other frowned.

        “Yeah…I’m worried about my father and Woyid. I’ve no idea why they would go now to the Human Realm. And without telling me…” Mjolnir’s eyebrows rose. He hadn’t actually expected an answer. Turning around a little, Mjolnir took a better look at Minho: he had dark circles underneath his eyes that had yet to heal, his entire posture was sluggish and his energy was dim. What Mjolnir was glad about was the fact that Minho had started to relax a bit more now that he was outside.

        “I’m sure they’re safe wherever they are. They’re part of the elite here. I’m certain they can handle their own. After all, if you’ve got only a piece of Kyko as his child, then the man himself is a beast!” Mjolnir exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Minho opened his eyes and looked up at Mjolnir before laughing, the sudden sound surprising the eldest. He started to laugh as well, taking another drag of his cigar and blowing out the remaining smoke in a cloud of green.

        “Linden again?”

        “Yeah…helps when you can’t sleep.”

        “Can I try?” Mjolnir turned to look sharply at Minho. Smoking different plants wasn’t harmful to their bodies, especially with how quickly they healed, yet they could lead to dizziness and loss of consciousness if not done well. And also to coughing. It didn’t affect the lungs, or any other organ, but it made you addicted, and sometimes having to light up a cigar during a battle could be really dangerous. It was almost as dangerous as pixie candies.

        “No.” Mjolnir said, already turning to look away as Minho pouted. He was just curious… “is what I would say if I were your parent, but I’m your friend, and I’d rather have you try from my teachings rather than someone else. What if someone were to give you toxic plants to smoke or something harmful? Can’t have that.” Minho started to grin, excited for whatever reason as Mjolnir reached beside him to grab linden flowers and gather them in a leaf. At least he’d listened to his advice and stopped using tree bark. Once the leaf was rolled, Mjolnir started to explain. “I’ve no idea how much you know about smoking, so I’ll start from the very beginning. Anything that has flavor and can be dried, can be used as a smoke base. You can either wrap it in a sturdy dry leaf or tree bark, and then you simply light it up. After it’s lit up, you place it between your lips, bite it at the edge so that the middle of the leaf is completely closed and only the corners communicate between the dried flavors and your mouth, and then you inhale a bit, if it’s just for flavor, or inhale deeply, if it also has some effects. This linden here has relaxing properties and if you inhale too much at once, it might lead to you falling asleep instantly, so start slowly. Here.” Mjolnir handed the freshly rolled cigar to Minho and watched as the other carefully followed the steps. It felt strange to bite into the leaf without breaking it, and even more so to try and inhale without using his nose or opening his mouth. He stood upright as the flavored smoke trickled down his throat, making him gasp and inhale a bit more, before he released the cigar and started to breathe in and out quickly. Mjolnir patted him on the back, taking the cigar from him.  “That’ll be enough to do the trick. How was it?”

        Once Minho recovered, he spoke. “Strange? It was difficult to inhale through my mouth like that. And I’m surprised I didn’t start to cough.”

        “That’s because you have a good teacher.” Mjolnir chuckled, ruffling Minho’s hair and taking another drag of his own cigar. Minho could already feel the effects of the linden, a light feeling coursing through his body, making him feel relaxed and sleepy, but not enough to make him fall asleep instantly like Mjolnir had said. And how was the other smoking so much and not falling asleep. As if sensing his question, Mjolnir laughed. “I haven’t fallen asleep because I’m used to smoking linden. Only beginners and inexperienced folk fall asleep.” Minho nodded, leaning back against the tree and closing his eyes. He extended his hand towards Mjolnir, silently asking for his cigar back. “You sure?” When Minho nodded, Mjolnir sighed and handed him the cigar. It was his fault for saying that only beginners and inexperienced folk fall asleep. That only helped in fueling Minho’s inner competitive side.

        Several minutes later, Mjolnir threw both finished cigars away before shaking Minho awake. The lad had fallen asleep shortly after the third drag, breathing calmly and peacefully with his head leaned against Mjolnir’s bicep. He looked so small and vulnerable as he slept, and Mjolnir couldn’t help but feel grateful that the other trusted him so much. Trusted all of them so much. For such a pure soul as Minho’s, his trust was more than a blessing for all of them, and despite him saying and maybe even thinking that it was a joke that all of them and Woyid had bonded over protecting his pure heart, it was no joke. They would go through demons and Fae alike to defend him to the end of the world.

        Mjolnir struggled to wake Minho up, mainly because the other was a heavy sleeper, but once he’d managed, the youngling walked after him towards the cabin with small steps, looking almost as if he would fall asleep while walking. To both their surprise, Ryen stumbled out of the cabin, yawning widely and barely moving his hand to cover his mouth, eyes widening when he saw the two. He looked up at Mjolnir first, noticing that the other was far too awake for such an early hour, before his eyes fell on Minho as he still dragged his feet over to the cabin. Ryen couldn’t help but stare. There was something about Minho in the morning, with loose clothes on and ruffled hair. As he came closer, Ryen saw that his black loose sweater had actually fallen a little off his shoulder, his neck and upper back tattoos a little more visible now. When he looked up at Ryen and yawned as he waved his hand slowly, Ryen became even more terrified of Minho, because the other’s sleeve  _had passed over his knuckles, almost reaching the tips of his fingers and holy deities he was not allowed to look that cute._  With a stutter and bright cheeks, Ryen exclaimed that he was headed to get some food before rushing away, Minho staring after him, confused.

        From the door, Mjolnir shook his head, mumbling something underneath his breath about how  _that kid is unbelievable._

****

        After they’d reached the Feory Land, Kyko and Woyid had split up, Kyko going to the mermaids to pretend that he had business there so it wouldn’t be suspicious, while Woyid went to his sister to tell her everything that had happened and to ask her to raise his child in his stead. His sister had accepted with few questions, cooing and already adoring the cute baby boy. She would be the only one to know that he was a dragon changeling with the rare ability to spit fire.

        As Woyid hugged and kissed his child goodbye, he removed himself with great difficulty, whispering the name to his sister before leaving in a rush, knowing that if he stayed there longer, he would’ve taken the boy with him to the Human Realm. He couldn’t punish his child like that. To grow up in the Fairy Realm was essential to all Fae, and for those that grew up never knowing how the Fairy Realm even looked, it was an even greater punishment than being exiled. It hurt less, yes, but it was worse. Those children didn’t have the blessing and the strengthening of the realm in them.

        Woyid found Kyko at the base of the Singed Tree, patting one of the Gows that had wandered over to him. Almost as soon as he saw him, Kyko pulled him into a crushing hug, whispering words of encouragement and support as the other cried in his arms. He knew that it would not be the last time he saw his child, but he would never know, could never know that Woyid was his father. To the boy, Woyid would only be an uncle, and Woyid will make sure to be the best uncle ever. The elders would not link him with his boy if he visited from time to time, but even those visits should be short and non-frequent. Kyko would go with him, help him mask their visits as often as possible.

        “He was so upset when I left, Kyko. His eyes….if you’d have seen his eyes…They were green and with a slit iris. He looked so beautiful…” Woyid spoke softly, still in Kyko’s embrace, though his tears had stopped from falling. He could feel his mate calling for him through their bond, sending over warmth and love towards him.

        “What did you name him?” Kyko asked as soon as he could see Woyid’s face, lips splitting into a tentative smile.

        “I named him after my grandfather. Seungmin.”

 

_**Two weeks later** _

       

        Alarm bells started to ring everywhere. All shamans were trained from the very beginning that if they were to hear these alarms, they would report to their instructors near the sand pit, in case demons attacked.

        When Minho heard the alarms, he was up and dressed in an instant, staff in his hand and armor over his clothes. They all were.

        Running in an organized line, they met up with the shamans from the other groups and formed a circle in the sand pit. To their utmost surprise, there was no attack. The instructors were all gathered in the middle, their faces blank of any emotion, posture straight and as serious as ever. Minho watched with baited breath as one of the instructors, the first years instructor, walked towards them, dragging something…no… _someone_  towards the center. With harsh movements, the instructor threw the shaman to the ground, making everyone around flinch. Minho took a step back in fear, jumping when his back collided with Ryen’s chest. The other instantly placed a hand on his forearm, to keep him steady or to keep him close, Minho didn’t know. He was  _shaking._  The shaman on the ground had burnt patches of skin on his neck and arms, his face bloodied and cut, his clothes dirty as if he’d been thrown in a gladiator pit with lions.

        “This… _thing_ here escaped our radars somehow.” The shaman started to speak, and the more he said, the more Minho felt like he was underwater, his skin cold yet again, core frozen. “Abominations.” The instructor spat, hitting the shaman in the side, making him whine and crawl across the ground, but he had nowhere to go. “Barely capable of controlling two elements, yet having reign over a third! What a joke.” The instructor spoke, mocking the shaman and glaring at him. The other instructors were silent. “If there’s anyone else like him,  _anyone_ , get in here!” With a shout, the instructor turned around, looking at each and every shaman. All had their heads bowed, either in fear or something else. “Come forward, or the punishment will be far worse.” Minho was outright trembling by the time the instructor was done talking, his eyes fixated on the fallen shaman. He felt fear, rage that someone had dared do something like this to one of his own, shame that he was still safe while the other was out there, beaten and bruised. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t handle it.  _I’m sorry father._  Minho went to step forward.

        A hand coiled around his wrist, fingers trailing downwards to lace with his own in a tight hold, a chin resting atop his left shoulder, digging into it and holding him in place.  _Don’t_. Ryen’s voice rang as clear as day in Minho’s mind, effectively freezing him in place. When no one stepped forward, the instructor growled and everyone took a step backwards as he rushed towards the collapsed shaman, whistling for another instructor to come as they both carried him away.

        Their group instructor spoke to them after that, yet Minho was lost in a spiral of his own thoughts, and he was  _falling_. He slipped away from the group, and he  _ran_  without looking back _._   

        By the time Ryen realized Minho was no longer with them, Minho was long gone into the forests. Worried, Ryen turned to Juvy, ready to ask where Minho was, only for Juvy to already point in the direction he’d gone almost as soon as the instructor left.

        Focusing on Minho’s unique energy pattern, Ryen started to run, stumbling a few times from the rocks and roots. He had to stop the other before he did something foolish.

        The forest blocked most of the sunlight, the light in the barely enough to illuminate Ryen’s path. He had only Minho’s energy traces to guide him through the darkness.

        As he ran, the wood nymphs around him moved aside, tears in their eyes, wails following after him. Nymphs could hear the deepest fears and desires of Fae, and that terrified Ryen.  _Where was Minho?!_

        He found him deep in the forest, pacing through the meadow, fingers grasping tightly at the cuffs of his shirt, mumbling incoherently to himself. Ryen stepped forward carefully, as though Minho was a scared animal ready to jump away. He might as well have been.

        When Minho sensed Ryen, he looked up, his fight or flight responses kicking in, but he pushed them down. This was his friend, his leader. He’d  _saved_ him.

        “What am I supposed to do now? They’ll find me out…How did you know?!” Minho had been so careful,  _so careful_  when practicing fire spells, had made sure that no one was around while he practiced, so  _how did Ryen know?!_  It was the Silver Forest all over again, but knowing that he was a third rank shaman and knowing that he’d played in the Crystal Caverns were two separate things, two secrets, one bigger than the other. Minho felt terror gripping at his insides as he thought about the instructor finding out about his father because of him. He couldn’t allow that to happen. “HOw?!” Minho shouted, voice cracking towards the end as he turned to look back at Ryen.

        Minho stepped backwards when Ryen started to walk towards him in big strides. When Minho tried to step away from him, Ryen placed his palms on Minho’s cheeks, leaning in close enough for the other to see his eyes. Minho gasped loudly as he saw the amber and green that he was used to mingling with red, pure fire burning in Ryen’s eyes. “ _I’m like you!”_  Three words, yet they were so powerful. Ryen repeated them, softer this time, staring into Minho’s eyes.

        “What are we going to do now?” Minho asked in a small voice, hands going up to grip tightly at the front of Ryen’s armor, fingers hooking underneath the leather strap. Ryen lowered his hands to Minho’s waist so he could pull him in, hugging him as tightly as possible, leaning his cheek against the other’s hair.

        “We’ll pull through together. I’ll protect you. I promise.” Ryen’s eyes glowed with determination, and as Minho started to sniffle, Ryen brushed through his light brown locks gently, rocking them in an attempt to calm the younger shaman. He would see his promise through, even if it came at the cost of his own life.

        Minho started to relax in Ryen’s embrace, his tears dying out. Just knowing that there was someone else like him at his side helped Minho find his lost footing, his thoughts settling back into an organized pattern. They would pull it through. They would watch each other’s backs and succeed through their training without being discovered. If Minho was involved in the equation, Ryen will never end up in the first year shaman’s place. Never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It's been a really long tome since i've last updated and that's because school was awful :(( i had exams and barely time to even sleep, lest to write. i hope you're not too upset with me for being gone for so long and i hope that you'll enjoy this chapter <3


	46. HAPPY NEW YEAR

                                                                                                    

**Hey everyone!!!!! Back in February, when I started to write Fairy Vision, i had no idea how much i would grow to love this story and how much i would actually write at it. In less than a year we've reached 281403 words and so many things happened. We cried with the characters and laughed and cheered them on whenever they felt sad. Along the year, i've met so many amazing, wonderful, gorgeous, countless other adjectives(XD) people that supported me and helped me at times, making me smile, or even cry of happiness(more often than not haha). You've always reassured me, either through a nice short comment or through a long one in which you analyzed everything^^ All comments, short and long alike, made my day happier, making me squeal and jump around my room, happy to hear your thoughts on a new chapter, or just in general once you found my story. Your comments, your bookmarks, your kudos and hits, your happiness or sadness over what happened in the latest chapters, they made me know just how much you enjoyed my story, and it lit a fire inside me to write more so that i could have you happy again.**

**I wish that 2019 will bring to us only happiness and will bring to us all of our wishes and even more. I wish that we will all enter the new year with our wishes and be happy about how we lived in 2018. A new Year is here, and with it, we grow, we change a bit more, in good i believe. Let us enjoy and celebrate through the new year together~~ I love you guys so much and i hope i;ll bring you even better chapters, with a lot of action packed and wonderful places and wonderful people and tense moments that will keep you on the edges of your seats!**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR**

**WELCOME, 2019**

**Signed, yours truly, Kris**

 

**ps: on 1st or 2nd january, i'll present you with a special chapter that will include christmas and new year's eve with our dear Fae. It'll be fun ;) after that chaps and lp as normal hehe**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	47. Christmas and Shamyung Special xD

           

 

        The bed sheets felt soft and warm, yet…cold at the same time. Changbin twisted his arm and reached out, but there was no one beside him. He inched an eye open, slowly in case the lights were on, but no one was there. Felix had woken up before him.

        It wasn’t the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, but Changbin wished that the other would wake him up at least. Felix always tended to just get up, drop a kiss on the other’s cheek and go by his business, not wishing to wake the other up too early. Minho had dropped low on his trainings as well, saying that Changbin deserved to rest after how good he’d gotten.

        Tightening his fingers into the blanket, Changbin dragged it off of his body, allowing it to gather in a small mountain in the middle of the bed before trudging slowly towards the kitchen. As he got up, his eyes ran over to his desk where a calendar was resting. It was the 24th of December.

        From the sounds of it, Minho and Seungmin were up as well, conversing over something. Almost as soon as he came inside the kitchen, they looked up, smiling brightly at him, a cup of hot chocolate getting shoved in his face. Changbin stumbled a little, reaching out to take the cup, Minho grinning slyly. Seungmin dragged the chair out for him, frowning a little almost as soon as he got a closer look at his face.

        “What’s with the long face?” Minho looked at the other before looking up at Changbin again, squinting his eyes. He _did_ look sad!

        “I just…you know how I’ve been living with my aunt before moving into the university dorm. She always decorated the house for Christmas and prepared sweets and stuff and played music today and all that. I kind of miss it. I wonder if the headmaster will organize something for Christmas.” _Christmas._ Both Fae paled, their faces growing blank. _Humans celebrate Christmas and Changbin was raised as a human. How could we miss that?!_ Minho and Seungmin shared a look before they grinned widely at Changbin, making the other’s heart skip a beat for whatever reason. For a second, it looked as though they were wolves eyeing their prey. And he was the prey.

        They spent the rest of the morning in eerie silence, before Seungmin and Minho excused themselves and disappeared off somewhere, leaving Changbin alone in the kitchen with three empty cups. Huffing, he got up to get them cleaned.

****

        “HOW COULD WE FORGET ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!” Jeongin screeched in the kitchen, at the head of the table. Every one of the Fae was gathered in the kitchen to discuss what to do about this _Christmas_ and Jeongin out of all of them was the most agitated, along with Felix. Both for obvious reasons. Only Chan and Yedam were sitting down, while the others were all standing and turning around to talk about what they should do. Yedam was sitting next to Jeongin’s chair, the ankle of his right leg propped on his left knee, hands clasped in front of him. He was wearing pajamas, because Jeongin had no shame in waking him up at such an hour. Don’t get him wrong, he was more than happy to help, but he loved sleep too.

        “How much do you know about Christmas?” Yedam’s voice brought everyone to silence, Jeongin frowning at him and placing his arms on his hips, as if to provoke him to a fight. Chan sighed and finally looked up, Woojin placing a hand on his shoulder from where he was leaning against the kitchen table.

        “Well, humans gather together, they decorate a tree, and sing some songs, and that’s Christmas.”

        “Chan, try to sound a bit more enthusiastic about this.” Felix scolded. “I know you’re terrified it’s not going to work out, but I’m sure we can decorate rather well for Christmas. We’ll do just fine. How hard can it be?”

        “YOU’RE ONE TO TALK, YOU’RE TREMBLING.” Hyunjin shouted from beside him, earning himself an extra look from a shocked Felix. The other stared at Hyunjin with rage in his eyes, ready to take on his brother while Hyunjin looked the same. Well, rage was a bit too much, they were both just flustered and ready to fight like too high school girls slapping their hands around and grabbing at their hairs. Jisung pinched the bridge of his nose and stepped forward, placing his hands around their shoulders with a calm smile, dragging them forward until their head knocked together with a loud _clonck._ Both Fae started moaning in pain and holding their foreheads, tears in their eyes as they stared up at Jisung’s grin.

        “I never thought I’d see Jisung as the reasonable one.” In return, Seungmin muttered from the other side of the table, earning himself a chuckle from Yedam. Jeongin finally sat down, stretching his hands over the table and dropping his head with a sigh. Surprisingly, Yedam leaned over into the table and dropped a hand down to ruffle Jeongin’s hair. The Kitsune almost deflated at the touch.

        “You worry too much.” He said quietly to the fox before he looked at the others. “I can tell you what to do to achieve a nice Christmas night. Ever since coming to the Human Realm, I celebrated Christmas the way humans do, and it’s not that hard. First of all, we have to decorate everything. I’m certain you know how the decorations look like. The typical colors are green, red, and maybe golden, or white. It usually snows around this time too, but as you can see, there’s not much snow outside. We also need to hang mistletoes around the house, crowns of fir tree and rosebuds and cranberries. Also we gotta use cinnamon rolls and vanilla sticks to give the best scent around the house. Oh, and oranges as well.” Yedam listed off, eventually writing everything on a piece of paper. “And we can’t forget the Christmas tree and carols.”

        “Where will we get a Christmas tree? And with what money?” Minho questioned, sitting down as well next to Yedam.

        “I can help with the money, as well with from where to buy it. I guess spending a lot of time in the Human Realm does come with a lot of roaming through shops.” Woojin offered, squeezing Chan’s shoulder when the other went to protest.

        “We can help as well with our spare money from the shifts at L7L.” Seungmin added, Minho nodding in agreement.

        “There’s one more problem.” Jisung added, still standing between Felix and Hyunjin. “Someone has to keep Changbin busy so that he doesn’t realize what we’re doing.” Almost instantly everyone turned to look at Felix, making the phoenix blush brightly.

        “I’ll take him out on a date.”

        “OH, that’s a great idea to start the day. A Christmas date will probably make him less sad.” Yedam said, his eyes brightening. “I could pinpoint a few locations for you to take him to that are decorated accordingly around this time of the year.”

        “That would be amazing, thank you.” Felix smiled in relief. He’d been worried about it ever since he’d thought about taking Changbin out on a date, because he didn’t really know the area that well. He was never too interested in human customs either, so it wasn’t as if his knowledge could help him.

        “Well then, now that everything is settled, we should split up the duties and get to work.”

        “Jeongin and I will go with Seungmin and Hyunjin to find decorations.” Yedam said, grinning as Jeongin started to protest. Hyunjin smiled brightly and shared a look with Seungmin before placing a hand around Yedam’s shoulder and laughing.

        “I accept. Let’s go shopping.”

        “Alright. Then I’ll go with Woojin to find a good tree. Felix will distract Changbin. What will you two do?”

        “I guess we could go to a cake shop and buy sweets, and then go to buy ingredients and bake some Christmas food on our own. Jisung’ll be the help of the chef.” Minho winked, making Jisung blush. Yedam snickered from his seat, earning himself a noogie from Jisung.

        Everyone separated after that, Felix grabbing his coat and heading out with the list to see what Changbin was up to. He needed the date to be perfect.

        With his red muffler wrapped tightly around his throat and slightly covering his mouth, Felix knocked on door 73, waiting for a response with butterflies in his stomach. He always got them whenever he did something with his mate.

        The door opened, knocking Felix out of balance, surprising him.

        Changbin was dressed in his black jeans and a white sweater with different models, his hair a bit ruffled, almost as if he’d just finished changing. “Lix?”

        “Hey.” Now Felix felt even more nervous. How was he supposed to just _ask the othe_ r to go out with him _on a date._ Felix started to stutter, his cheeks slowly turning a darker color. Changbin merely raised an eyebrow, his own eyes sparkling. A flustered Felix looked really great. Just to see how much redder the other could turn, Changbin remained silent, a small smile growing on his lips. Finally, Felix snapped.

        “Stop grinning and go on a date with me.” Felix’s tone was stronger than before, his eyes serious before he blushed even more, hand reaching to drag Changbin outside by the front of his sweater. Changbin stuttered, his cheeks growing even darker than Felix’s, grin gone. As he was ushered out the door, he managed to grab his coat and hat, pulling them on and closing the door. Felix started to chuckle as Changbin muttered an alright, voice as quiet as possible. “What was that?” Felix queried, wanting to see even more of Changbin being flustered. Changbin grumbled something again before he pulled Felix a bit down by his muffler, dragging it away from his chin in order to place a soft kiss on his lips.

        “I said yes.” Equally flustered, they left the dorms and headed outside so that Felix could look for Chan’s car. He spotted it close to the entrance to the university. Their first stop would be a restaurant nearby that had Christmas themed menus, before they would visit the center of the city and then stay until the first batch of fireworks got released in the evening.

****

        “We know where to get the tree from, but how are we going to get it? Felix took your car.” Woojin asked, rubbing some heat into his bicep through his sweater. Chan nibbled at his lower lip, eyeing his phone deep in thought.

        “I think I have an idea.” Chan muttered, grabbing his phone and scrolling through his agenda, settling on a phone number before dialing. He waited for about three rings before a bubbly voice filled the line.

        “-darling I didn’t know you’d be calling!” Woojin cringed at the voice that came through the speakers, barely covering a laugh.

        “Hey guys, is Bambam cosplaying again?” From somewhere in the back, Chan heard Yugyeom shout something in agreement, making him sigh heavily. “Listen, I need a favor from you two.” There was a shuffle and a cry before a new voice appeared on the line.

        “Hey Chan. Sorry, the moron took my phone before I could answer and ran with it.” This time, Chan cracked a smile, hitting Woojin in the shoulder when the other started to laugh, almost falling from the bench outside on the veranda.  “What can we help with?”     

        “Well, Changbin used to spend Christmas with his aunt and he misses her. And celebrating Christmas. And we kind of forgot that, so we’re doing last minute decorations and we need a tree, but Felix took my car to take Changbin out on a date to distract him and now we don’t have any means of transporting it-“

        “Bambam’s already out, warming up the engine. Meet you up in five.” The line went dead before Chan could even apologize for bothering them, surprising him.

        “Your friends are cool, I gotta admit.” Woojin said, grinning wolfishly at him.

        “What are you grinning about mister?” Chan asked, pocketing his phone and reaching up to drag Woojin closer so he could kiss him. A horn blared behind them.

        “Hey loverbirds! We getting that tree or what?!” Yugyeom shouted from the entrance of the university, the truck rumbling behind him. Chan sighed, closing his eyes to garner control back, but Woojin grinned and dragged him closer, placing a strong kiss on the other’s lips before getting up and away from his arms and dashing towards the truck, leaving Chan in a daze and breathing harshly. Chan inclined his head to the side, drawing in a sharp breath and getting up, following after his mate.

****

        “This is almost like a heaven for Christmas shopping. You’ll love it.” Yedam exclaimed, ushering Jeongin and the others inside, smiling. He would never admit it out loud but he loved shopping for Christmas decorations.

        The shopping center was huge. They had to take the bus to reach it, seeing as it was almost at the border of the city. The complex was pretty big, with several sections that had things other than Christmas decorations, yet the Christmas one was the biggest. They headed there directly, having to almost drag Hyunjin out of a clothing shop that had _thousands_ of racks. He’d said something about _loving the way humans did clothes_ , but that didn’t stop Seungmin from dragging him away. Seungmin’s excuse had been that Fae clothing was by far more comfortable, yet Hyunjin was adamant in his beliefs.

        They grabbed a cart and started to go through each section, their eyes taking in the several boxes of decorations that adorned the shelves, some samples hanging as well. Yedam took great pleasure in seeing his friends so awed and surprised by what they’d found.

        Taking it district by district, the cart slowly filled up. At some point, Hyunjin grabbed a red tinsel and wrapped it around his head and shoulders, extending his hands out to look like a tree.

        “How do I look? Don’t I look amazing like a tree?” Seungmin merely chuckled and walked over to the other to take the tinsel off and place it in the cart, kissing Hyunjin on the forehead and linking their pinkies as they continued to shop.

        They first bought red and golden colored tinsel, along with white and green and red and golden globes. They also bought different looking ornaments, as well as candy canes and little silver bells and stars. The last pieces were multicolored lights, along with a golden star to place on top. 

        At the cashier, Seungmin dug into his black trench coat and brought forth his wallet to pay up, and to his surprise, it wasn’t as expensive as he’d expected. From beside him, Yedam grinned.

        “I didn’t bring you here only for the decorations. The prices are also low.”

        “Can we also look around before Chan says that he brought the tree?” Both Hyunjin and Jeongin asked simultaneously, as if they’d agreed before talking, both leaning forward a bit and with puppy eyes. When the other two agreed, they found themselves dragged into opposite directions, Yedam dragged by Jeongin towards the plants district, whilst Seungmin was dragged off to the clothing sections Hyunjin had seen earlier.

****

        With the cake safely placed in the fridge, Minho sighed, glad that he no longer had to go out. Jisung was far worse than he due to being a fire fairy. He was shivering from the cold, and acted a bit moody. Even inside the wards it was a bit cold, no matter how many spells Minho placed around the house to warm it up.

        “Jisung?” Minho called from the kitchen, waiting as his mate trudged over to the kitchen with a blanket over him. He didn’t stop until he was next to Minho, draping the blanket over both of them and hugging Minho tight, cold nose burying in the other’s neck juncture. Minho shivered at the slight cold, hugging Jisung closely to him.

        “You feel like a furnace. Do you have a fever?” Jisung muttered into his shirt, burying his nose in it and inhaling Minho’s scent, sending another shiver through the other. Minho shook his head, resting his chin on top of the other’s head.

        “My inner fire is burning better because of the cold, making me warmer.”

        “Why isn’t my fire doing the same?”

        “It is. You’re feeling like a furnace too, except for your nose.”

        “Bullshit. I’m still cold.”

        “Maybe it’s not the weather?” Minho suggested, making Jisung frown and look up at him.

        “What do you mean?” Jisung muttered, standing as close as possible to Minho and the warmth that he was emitting. Wordlessly, Minho leaned down and placed a kiss on the other’s lips, and then he was placing a second one and moving his hand up to brush Jisung’s hair gently out of his eyes. Jisung sighed into the kiss, his nerves easing. He applied more pressure and stood up on his toes to reach better, carding his fingers through the others soft strawberry blond locks. He’d recently dyed his hair for a reason he refused to tell Jisung. Jisung was really glad for the shirt that Minho was wearing, because he could easily feel the muscles underneath as he slowly trailed his fingers down the other’s back while they kissed, warmth slowly seeping back into him.

        “You were touch starved.” Minho muttered against his lips, pressing another kiss and nibbling at the other’s lower lip, fingers digging into one rib, making Jisung break away with a giggle.

        “Touch starved?”

        “It’s a thing between shamans and their mates. Fae normally don’t get this, but because you’re my mate and I’m a shaman, you get touch starved whenever we’re far from each other for too long. You’re warm now, right?” Jisung nodded, rubbing his nose against Minho’s in an eskimo kiss. The other closed his eyes, taking in Jisung’s presence for a little more. He hadn’t even realized how long it’d been with all the agitation to get ready for Christmas and everything before that. “Come on, we gotta prepare some food as well. And you’re my help, so go grab an apron from the cupboards.” Jisung saluted and walked back to the living room to place the blanket on the sofa before he returned and started to do whatever Minho told him, while the other pulled out several Christmas recipes.

        While they were preparing the base for the sweet bread, Jisung leaned over the counter and dipped his finger in the floury composition before dragging it over Minho’s cheek, giggling at the now white dust trail on the other’s skin. Minho turned to Jisung, ready to ask him why he was wasting the composition, when he saw the fond look in the other’s eyes. He felt his heartbeat pick up, his skin tingling with warmth as he smiled gently and pecked Jisung’s lips before asking for the batch of eggs on the table.

****

        After eating, they drove over to the center of the city, where they found a lot of stalls decorating the left and right side of the large alleyway, all bearing Christmas decorations and such. They both bought hotteok and bungeoppang, munching on them as they walked through the mass of people. Despite Felix not really liking the mass, he loved seeing the awe on Changbin’s face as he took in all the decorations. Time slipped past them as they went from stall to stall, taking photos everywhere with the Christmas body-sized decorations.

        When they reached the middle, they found a massive tree decorated with so many huge globes and stars and sleighs and different things, illuminated with blue and white lights, the top star golden.

        “I forgot how beautiful everything could be with lights decorating each and every place…” Changbin said, his voice almost a whisper. The fingers that were holding Felix’s hand tightened, making the other turn to Changbin. His mate was staring at the tree with wide eyes, and against the slightly dark lights of the sky above, he could see the tears gathering amidst the happiness. Felix stepped in front of Changbin and waited until the other was looking at him to smile, gently placing  his palm against the other’s cheek, other hand still tightly clasped in the other’s. As one of the tears fell, Felix brushed it away and stepped closer as Changbin leaned his head into his palm. He leaned forward until they were forehead to forehead, eyes peering closely. With loving fingers, Felix brushed Changbin’s cheek, dropping a kiss on the tip of his nose, then on his cheek, his temple, his forehead, his other cheek, before Changbin started to laugh softly, other hand rising up to grab at the other’s wrist, settling his forehead against the other’s again.

        “How can you be real?” Changbin murmured, lips almost touching the other’s, yet not close enough. Felix’s smile was gone now, eyes peering closely at his mate, his eyes as serious as ever and full of love.

        “How can you?” Felix said as a comeback, voice soft and low, sending a shiver down Changbin’s spine. “Ever since I’ve met you, everything felt like a dream. Our time spent at L7L, during classes, during our free time, the sleepless nights, everything felt like a dream. I love it all so much, that if it were a dream, I’d never want to wake up.”

        “Then it’s good it’s not a dream. You don’t have to fear waking up.” Changbin responded cheekily, earning a small quirk of lips from Felix before the other was dragged down into a kiss by Changbin. Felix responded instantly, arms looping around his neck, warm lips pressing against his, sweet from earlier. Felix felt the charm around his neck tremble, his need to shift growing incredibly more in just a second, so much that he clung tighter to Changbin and kissed him harder just to control his other form, taking the other by surprise. Changbin really brought out the best of him.

****

         “Are you sure this is going to work?” Bambam had asked fifteen minutes ago as they’d pondered over how to take the tree back since it was actually bigger than the truck and barely fit in the back. Now, they were all huddled close together, the tip of the tree brushing against Yugyeom’s cheek as he drove, Chan, Woojin and Bambam squeezed together in the back to make sure the tree didn’t go anywhere. As Yugyeom took a sudden turn to the left, Chan got a mouthful of fir needles, making him cough and wipe at his mouth until it was all gone. The tree was also buried into a big pot, because deities forbid Jeongin found a cut, dead plant in their apartment. He’d have Chan’s head on a silver platter.

         With only three incidents later, Chan and the others got to the university in one piece and with a fine under their belt, the tree safely in their grasp. “How are we going to fit this monster into the apartment?” Woojin asked, staring down at the tree from the back of the truck. It was so tall, it surely passed through the ceiling.

        “We could cut it.”

        “NO.” Both Chan and Woojin shouted at the same time at Bambam’s suggestion, their faces pale. Bambam quickly placed his hands up, palms facing them, before taking another look at the tree.

        “Maybe I could shrink it a bit with a spell?”

        “Will it still live?”

        “Yeah.”

        “Then that’s what we’ll do.” Bambam nodded and walked over to the tree, his eyes turning green as the needles and base of the tree started to glow a weird turquoise green color. It started to shake and to vibrate, before it _poofed_ into a tiny tree.

        “Is that supposed to happen?” Chan pointed out, chest rumbling with laughter. Bambam flushed all of a sudden, walking closer to the tree.

        “You shut it Bang! I guess it’s been some time since I practiced this spell.” Bambam tried yet again, the tree shaking even more violently than before. This time, Yugyeom’s eyes widened in shock, jumping towards Bambam in an instant to take him away from the tree. Chan and Woojin did the same just as the tree grew taller than the university.

        “KUNPIMOOK!” Three voices shouted, making Bambam jump as he heard his name. He hissed at them, staring at the tree with fear. He had no idea why it wasn’t working in their favor.

        “Bambam, you asked for the measures, right?” _Damn, the measures…_ Bambam rubbed at the back of his neck, sheepish all of a sudden.

        “No…?”

        Chan groaned, rubbing at his temples. “1.77 meters would be perfect.” Bambam nodded, focusing back on the tree. When it shrunk to the requested size, Bambam jumped into the air, hollering.

        “Third try’s with luck!”

        They carried the tree inside, notifying each group that they were back. Jisung hurried outside to help them carry the tree from the hall, making sure they didn’t bump into anything with it. Of course, the others had forgotten to make place in the living room for the tree, so Jisung had made sure that there was enough space in the far corner of the living room, next to the tall windows, to the right, and close to the door to the office room.

        “Now we just have to wait for the others to get here.” It lasted almost an hour before the others returned, carrying several bags with them. Jeongin looked the most pleased of all. Chan understood why after the other rushed towards him, carrying a small pot with something green buried into the ground. Apparently, he’d found a unique Fae plant that nursing fairies used to heal others faster, something that  Jeongin had been searching for years. Chan had thought that Seungmin had bought it, but by the proud and happy look on Yedam’s face, he got that that was not the case. Once he caught Yedam’s eyes, he smiled at the other, making the young Sangvine blush.

        “Alright then, let’s start decorating!” They started with the front door, placing a crown on the door, before decorating all the door frames and halls with garlands and tinsels of all colors. After that, they placed jingle bells at the top of each window on Yedam’s request. He’d claimed it a tradition made by young children through which they would hear Santa Clause when he came with the presents.

        Then, they started with the tree. The pixies came out of their room as well to help, giggling and flying around with the tinsel until Chan asked them to bring it back because they needed it, the pixies pouting because he was _too serious_. First were the lights, neatly wrapped around and towards the top, followed by the globes and decorations and then the tinsel. They left out two globes, one red and one blue, and the golden star, for until Changbin and Felix arrived.

        Jisung stopped rushing around the living room to arrange the food to look at Minho, who’d been sitting in the same place in front of the tree, staring with a frown on his lips. “What’s wrong?” Jisung placed a hand around his mate’s waist, looking at the tree as well. It looked alright to him.

        “Something’s missing…” Minho hummed, looking all over the tree, fingers twitching as though he wanted to do something yet he didn’t know what. “AHA!” He shouted all of a sudden, his eyes glowing a bright azure. With a snap of his fingers, he gathered water from a nearby flower vase, forming a circle in between his palms. Jisung continued to watch wide-eyed, not really getting what Minho wanted to do. From the kitchen doorframe, Chan watched the two, grinning once Minho started to twirl the water orb between his fingers, slowly filling it with blue and green tendrils until it became azure like his eyes. Before Jisung, the bubble flew over to the top of the tree, exploding into blue and green dust, coating the entire tree in it. It started to glisten brightly, energy vibrating from it. It almost felt like the center of a home, warm and soft, with everyone running around the house, the scents of baking filling each room and soft music playing in the background. Chan had made sure to play each and every Christmas song that he knew while they decorated. Jisung could slowly understand why humans like this specific holiday so much.

        To their utter surprise, time passed faster than expected, and once the sky darkened, the door was opened. First was Felix, who’d run ahead from the dorm entry to see what they’d done, Changbin coming in seconds later, out of breath. He froze in the hallway, staring up at the decorations that hung from the ceiling. He could see everyone inside, gathered in the living room, foods lining the table. Walking slowly towards the living room, Changbin’s eyes widened even more when he saw the tall tree, decorated and with small lights flickering brightly. Everyone else was grinning widely, waiting for his response. Their expressions dimmed immediately when Changbin started to cry.

        “Hey buddy, why are you crying!” Jisung shouted, running over to Changbin and placing his hands on his shoulder, looking back to see that Felix didn’t look worried in the slightest. Jisung shouted in surprise when he was yanked in a tight hug by Changbin, the other still crying yet smiling brightly.

        “I can’t believe you guys did this! Is this about how I said in the morning that I miss spending Christmas with my aunt?!” He quickly looked over Jisung’s shoulder at Minho and Seungmin as the two smiled guiltily. Changbin shook his head and buried his face in Jisung’s shoulder, hugging the other tighter. Then he hugged Seungmin and Minho, claiming that they were awesome, before hugging everyone and thanking them, tears slowly drying on his cheeks. Felix came up to him afterwards, brushing his tears away and kissing him, smiling widely.

        “Must you cry so easily?” Felix teased, scrunching his nose when Changbin grabbed him by it.

        “Only with you guys.” Changbin turned to look at the tree again, noticing that there were two empty spots. Chan followed his line of sight and finally came towards the two.

        “While we did want to make a surprise for you, we didn’t want to exclude you from decorating the tree, so here. You get to place the star on top.” Changbin’s eyes widened as he took the red globe and the star, looking back at Chan, mouth opened and ready to refuse, because usually the youngest added the star in tradition, yet Chan didn’t allow him to speak, giving Felix the blue globe and pushing the both of them towards the tree. They placed the globes close to each other, and when it came to the star, Changbin pouted.

        “It’s too high up-AHH!” Changbin started before he was rudely interrupted by someone rising him up on their shoulders. Fearing that he would be dropped, Changbin wrapped his arms around whoever’s head was, shrieking as he kept gaining height.

        “Relax!” Felix shouted, and once Changbin realized that he had his palms plastered over Felix’s face, he took them away, before becoming destabilized again and having to place them through the other’s fiery locks.

        “Felix!” Felix grinned up at him, his hands wrapped around the other’s thighs. Changbin blushed brightly, surprised by the other’s strength. He held the star tightly between his fingers and leaned towards the tree to place it on top, grinning once it was snuggly placed atop.

        Even after that, Felix refused to drop Changbin down, instead walking around the living room with him, making him laugh in delight. He really liked the sensation of being taller. As soon as they were done fooling around, they went to grab the neatly-wrapped boxes that rested underneath the tree, all of them surprised by the gifts. They hadn’t been there a few minutes ago.

        “Guys, look on the back of the presents!” Yedam shouted all of a sudden as he went ahead with the unwrapping. They followed his instructions, surprised to find that there were tags on the back.

**_From:_ Krey**

**“** He brought us presents! But when?!”

        “Maybe he used those tunnels. You know how there’s an entrance in our office room.” Jisung muttered, still surprised with the gifts. They’d all received beanies and gloves, along with charms that amplified their powers. Aside the gifts that they’d found underneath, they gave gifts to each other as well, the boxes piling up next to each of them.

        “MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!” They all shouted as soon as the clock read midnight, bringing forth a bottle of champagne that Jisung insisted on opening, sending the cap flying somehow. Everyone jumped with their glass towards it as soon as the foam brimmed over the edge and overflowed.

        A few days later, New Year’s Eve rolled around, and both Fae and Humans alike got ready for the big celebrations. For humans, it was the New Year, while for Fae, it was Shamyung, the welcoming of a new energy wave from the new year’s strongest leaders from their realm. They had ceremonies and traditions to respect, but since they were exiled to the Human Realm, the number of traditions and ceremonies that they could do was reduced to one.

        Seeing as they needed to unravel the ceremony in the middle of nature, they drove over to the Fae house, all of them loud and giggly on the ride there, even though the space was almost non-existent in the truck, each of them with their mates in their laps to try and somehow fit inside.

        The sun was slowly trickling down the sky as they settled in the living room with pixie spirit to drink, the youngest sitting on the floor in front of the TV, while the others sat on the sofa and around it, talking with each other.

        “So we have to do this…ceremony once the clock strikes midnight?” Changbin queried once again, nervous for his first ceremony as a Fae. He still had much to learn about his own nature, and he feared that he might ruin the ceremony with his lack of knowledge. Chan dropped down from the sofa to wrap his arms around the younger’s shoulders, swaying them from side to side until Changbin laughed and swatted his hands away.

        “Yes, we do, and yes, I’m certain you’ll do just fine. Plus, you’ll have Felix next to you all the time, so his energy should guide yours on what to do. Don’t worry that much.” Felix grinned at him from his left, before poking Chan straight between the 4th and 5th rib, making him squirm like mad.

        “Jeongin, what do you think Krey will do for this Shamyung?” Yedam asked quietly from beside Jeongin, tucking his legs more underneath himself, fingers loosely by his side. He was still rather uneasy with being with them during the Shamyung, because he felt as though he was intruding, despite numerous times in which Jeongin told him he was not. Shamyung was a ceremony meant to be celebrated between clans.

        “I actually spoke with him a few hours ago. He fast-traveled to the latest hybrid camp location and met up with Seya to celebrate along with the rebel hybrids. He’s supposedly spending the night there. I’m really happy that he finally got to spend Shamyung with someone of his family. He was really giddy and excited about it too. Almost whisked me away as well but I insisted that I had to stay. My older brothers always put up a great show. Oh, I guess this year I’ll join as well.”

        “Show?”

        “After the family ceremony…or well, clan ceremony, we’ll dance. It’s a _must_ for us. Like a tradition of sorts.” Jeongin exclaimed, his face bright with excitement. Yedam nodded, his raven hair ruffled as if by the wind. Jeongin couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with his natural element.

        “What’re you looking at?” Hyunjin inquired from beside Felix, hooking his chin over the other’s left shoulder to peek at his phone. Felix’s eyes moved over Hyunjin’s face, a small smile blooming on his lips.

        “I just received a message from Jihoon.” He showed the screen to Hyunjin. “He’s spending New Year’s Eve with Jihyo, Nayeon, Bambam and Yugyeom at Jihyo’s house. I’m glad they all gathered together to celebrate.” The words celebrate passed through Seungmin’s ears, and as soon as it did, he jumped in his spot, drawing all attention to him, Hyunjin’s hand instantly latching onto the other’s forearm, his eyes burning blue for a second.

        “I’m fine.” He said quietly to Hyunjin before he turned to the others. “I’ve just remembered something. Blutige invited us to her Shamyung after party. She said we’d make her night If we got there to celebrate a bit with her.”

        “Of course we’d go.” Felix exclaimed from beside Changbin, the others quickly agreeing as well.

        “It’s almost midnight, we should head up if we want to catch the fireworks.” Cheering as one, they got up and almost ran outside, using the ladders to climb to the rooftop from where they would wait for the fireworks to start. Each of them settled into groups of two, each at the top of the roof, but still with spare space between them.

        Jisung was cuddled close to Minho between the other’s legs, his back against the other’s chest, Minho’s chin digging into his shoulder, arms twisted around his waist tightly. As they sat like that, Minho couldn’t help but scent his mate, peppering kisses along the column of his neck, making Jisung squirm and giggle whenever he hit a ticklish spot.

        To their left, Woojin and Chan were sitting next to each other, their arms and fingers linked together, Woojin’s wing out and covering the both from the cold outside. One of Woojin’s feather’s kept tickling Chan’s chin, and when the other had had enough of it, he grabbed to move the feather away, but then the feather fell into his arms and he panicked, thinking that he’d plucked a perfectly healthy one, preparing to apologize to Woojin for hurting him but the other was…laughing? Yeah, he was definitely laughing. He’d ignored that he was tickling Chan. Chan hit Woojin in his right shoulder, almost continuing his assault when the other pressed a smooth kiss on his cheek and smothered him closer into his feathers and against his warmth, dragging Chan’s body closer to his, shutting him up as Chan buried his face in the other’s shoulder to hide his reddening cheeks.

        The seconds ticked by, and Felix could swear that he was hearing the clock from downstairs clicking into his brain, second by second. He’d never been particularly interested with fireworks, until a few years ago when one Shamyung, Jisung had dragged him up on the rooftop before their annual ritual to show him something. He’d been mesmerized with them once he learned that the annoying booms in the night were actually colorful sparks illuminating the sky into different hues.

       He was sitting next to Changbin, their pinkies interlocked, Felix’s heated skin clashing with Changbin’s naturally cool one. They were both half siting and half leaning backwards, and when something tickled Felix’s elbow, he looked down, eyes widening a bit when he saw the fluffy end of Changbin’s tail, flickering playfully against the skin. As he twisted to inquire what the other was doing, lips silenced him, kissing his questions away. Changbin brought a hand forth and dragged his fingers slowly down Felix’s chin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake as he added pressure, biting gently when Felix’s hand grasped at the front of his shirt. “I love you, Fe. I don’t know what I would’ve done with this year had I not met you. You made it all better.” Changbin murmured gently as he rubbed his nose against the other’s before he dipped down and bit at the other’s pulse point gently, taking in his scent. Felix shivered and clung to Changbin, grin pulling at his lips, heart throbbing with happiness.

        “I love you too, cub.” Felix said quietly, dragging Changbin’s lips up to meet his again. At that moment, the fireworks exploded in the distance, some coming from the center of the city, while some were closer, definitely at the border of the forest. They ranged from sharp blues to bright reds and whites, switching from flowers to arrows, to hearts and zigzag patterns.

        “HAPPY SHAMYUNG!” They all shouted towards the sky, hollering as the nature burst to life, birdsongs filling the air, some hobgoblins screeching in the distance, butterflies drawing closer to the gathered Fae.

        Jeongin felt someone reaching for his hand, fingers curling around his own surprising him. He turned around just in time to see Yedam bringing his knuckles closer to his lips so he could press a kiss against them, eyes burning a calming golden glow. “What…” Jeongin went to ask, a little breathless.

        “It’s bad luck to go into the New Year without a kiss.” Yedam offered as an explanation, watching with delight as Jeongin’s cheeks erupted into a multitude of colors. To Yedam’s utmost surprise, Jeongin leaned forward and placed a kiss on the other’s cheek, before turning away as his cheeks grew a tad darker. Yedam touched the spot, still in a daze.

        “What was that about?”

        “You said it was bad luck not to get one…” Jeongin’s voice was small, shy, and slightly trembling, and it did things to Yedam’s heart. He smiled brightly and grasped the other’s hand tightly in his own to drag him down on a gust of wind as the others climbed down as well to reach the front of the house for the ceremony, Jeongin screeching at the sudden _drop_.

        Changbin had gone with Felix over the basics of the ceremony, yet he still felt worried. They were technically supposed to each bring a plant or specific item that they coated in their own scent. After placing them all in the middle, they’d form a perfect circle around them, shout out their wishes for the New Year, and after everyone was done, burn them together. Then dance. It sounded simple in Changbin’s mind, but he still felt as if he might screw up. He felt a warm hand slip into his and all of a sudden his worried were gone. He smiled up at Felix and watched as his mate closed his eyes and brought forth his hands.

        “I wish that in this year we’d succeed with whatever we’ll do! And I wish to see our families again and to master the phoenix!” A red flame erupted from his body, forming a circle around him, before going over to the items and stopping shortly of touching them.

        “I wish to learn more about my family!” Changbin shouted, a light blue flame joining Felix’s.

        “I wish to see my mother and father again!”

        “I wish to fly on my own!”

        “I wish to become a better leader and fighter!”

        “I wish to help my clan more!”

        Seungmin, Hyunjin, Chan and Woojin joined in as well, dark green, tender blue, bright amber, and cold blue joined in as well, helping the circle grow.

“I wish to become better at fighting without my dark descent!”

“I wish to master my third element to its fullest!”

        “I wish to become a better nature listener!”

        “I wish…I wish to become worthy!”

        Jisung, Minho, Jeongin and Yedam completed the circle, dark fire, azure flames, green ghost tendril, and blood red amber completing it, the items bursting into flames, a huge fire rising into the sky bearing all the colors, sparks illuminating everything. They then shouted together for happiness and for strong bonds before stepping aside from the circles and jumping around, already feeling the energy wave enveloping them. As Jeongin dragged the youngest into a circle dance, Woojin dragged Chan into his arms, dancing with his wings loosely around him. Chan grinned up at him, before silently watching over the others, his look growing distant.

        “I never imagined I’d see them so happy after being exiled. I wish I’d do a better job as their eldest brother…” Chan’s eyes jumped up when Woojin dropped his knuckles on his head, frown pulling at his lips.

        “You’re a fool for thinking like that. You’ve done so much for them, and they’d never even think about having a different elder brother. They love you so much Chan. We all love you. You just has this habit of crawling under everyone’s skin.” At Woojin’s cheesy words, Chan scrunched up his nose, leaning up to kiss Woojin, before he got whisked away by Hyunjin.

        “Come on! The family has to dance!” To their surprise, as soon as their mates were on one side and they with their back to the huge fire, the pixies started to _sing,_ melodious voices filling the forest, their wings beating gently as they floated together with the butterflies, their colors tangling together. From the ground from where the other five were watching, Yedam focused on the melody of the pixies before he started to tap against his thighs with his palms, creating a rhythm. Seungmin followed his beat and started to beat as well, before he got a better idea and buried his hands into the ground before him, creating hollows underneath it so that when he hit the ground, the sound resonated louder. He did the same for Yedam and soon they were both accompanying the pixies in their songs, as their counterparts swayed with the songs and danced with bright smiles on their faces, glowing marks adorning their skin.

        Amidst the hot flames and the sound of music, small golden grains rose from the sky, mingling with the pure stars as Mother Earth watched the children of the nature enjoy themselves and have fun.

****

        Outside his humongous manor, Taehyung watched the night sky get illuminated by fireworks, leaning on his elbows on the rail, his robes hanging loosely on his body, hair a ruffled rainbow mess, result of Namjoon’s fun.

        He sensed rather than heard Namjoon coming next to him on the veranda, because the man was scarily close to a ninja. His brother settled a hand on his shoulder, letting him now that he was there with him and that he was not alone, yet both felt the loss of their mates by their side. Both Jungkook and Seokjin had said that the demon activity in Busan had grown to a worrying size, and that they couldn’t leave unless they wanted to find the city overwhelmed. That meant they wouldn’t be spending Shamyung together. Jungkook had apologized minutes upon minutes, until Hoseok had called for him saying that another attack was due.

        “Maybe we should go to Busan and help them. At least we’ll be together during Shamyung.”

        “We can’t. Jungkook told me not to come, and I’m certain Seokjin told you as well. We’ll be…fine on our own.” Taehyung sighed, pushing away from the railing. “Come on, let’s get some drinks to start the night.” As Taehyung started to go towards the stairs to walk down towards the kitchen, he felt the phantom taste of his mate. His eyes changed, skin tingling instantly. He ran towards the head of the stairs, stopping shortly as he saw Jungkook tapping his foot against the floor, hands shoved into his jean pockets, hair ruffled to the side and wet, recently washed. His scent was overflowing now.

        Taehyung teleported to the foot of the stairs, jumping into Jungkook’s arms, fingers burying in the other’s wet locks, lips connecting with hunger and joy. Jungkook responded eagerly, tugging Taehyung even closer, nails digging into his backside. As they parted, Taehyung looped his arms around his neck, hugging the life out of him, body shaking with surprise and happiness.

        “How?!” Taehyung’s shaky voice reached Jungkook’s ears, making his arms tighten around his mate. He hated that he’d brought him distress, even for a little while. As he opened his eyes, Taehyung found the rest of his clan by the door, all a bit out of breath and tired but there, Jimin’s legs shaking a bit and needing support from Yoongi.

        “We took care of the demons extra fast. Plus, Jimin was begging to go wild one last time before Shamyung. Took out almost a hundred of the bastards at once.” Taehyung’s eyes widened at Hoseok’s answer, worry washing over him as he took Jimin’s form in. His features were pale, body shaking and energy dim.

        “Go wild? But that’s not safe without Joonie there-“

        “You seem to forget that I have fire too, TaeTae.” Seokjin said with a grin, earning himself a noggin from Namjoon before he was dragged in another tight hug. With an exclamation, Taehyung separated from Jungkook and dragged him by the neck over to the others, dragging them all into a hug. He started to cry into their warmth, hugging them all close to his heart. Jungkook buried his fingers into the other’s hair, pressing his cheek against his and holding him close. The others grew teary as well, their energies reaching out to sooth Taehyung’s.

        “It really isn’t the time to be crying, but a time to rejoice.” Namjoon started, although there were tear tracks staining his cheeks as well. With his hand linked with Seokjin’s, Namjoon nodded towards outside. “Come on. We need to officiate the Shamyung clan ceremony.”

        “BT- BT- BTS!” Their shouts filled the night, their cheeriness and joy reaching out towards the nature, indulging it to smile. In that night, during that Shamyung, everyone enjoyed themselves among their clans and families, even Yeji with her twin sister and Hyruvim.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this special chap!!!! I probably could've described even more from each perspective, the rebellion's, the bts one, the human's one, but that will be for the next Shamyung, when everyone will have evolved even more.  
> I'm not certain yet, since we've yet to arrive with the current events in december, so i cannot say for certain that everything that happened in this chapter will remain cannon. For now it is until further notice, because December will be a busy month for our guys and a lot of things will happen, you'll see, so i cant say for sure. I'll explain everything in the respective chapter, and make references to this one, in case i dont change a lot. if i do, i'll just write everything again with the later events in mind.^^ Love you all and thank you so much for all the wonderful New Year wishes. I'm deadass tired rn, so i'll post this chap and then crash in my bed. I'll see you tomorrow when i'll answer to the amazing comments. Really, i love you all~ <3


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